Feedback Control of a Coupled IPMC (Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite) Sensor-Actuator

Abstract

An ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) is an electroactive material that bends when electrically stimulated and generates electric current when bent. In this paper we investigate a coupled IPMC sensor-actuator using both the sensing and actuation properties of these electroactive materials. We describe the design of a coupled IPMC sensor-actuator, the feedback controller and the experimental evaluation of the system. Experimental results show the feasibility of closed-loop control of IPMC actuator with a mechanically coupled IPMC sensor.

Active Sensing Methods of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite (IPMC): Comparative Study in Frequency Domain

“…While IPMC actuation has been studied extensively and proposed for many applications [9], the sensing abilities have gained much less attention. Since the discovery of IPMCs' sensing capabilities in 1992 [10], the reported studies have used black-box models [11], [12], [13], grey-box models [14], [15], [16] and white-box models 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands A. .nl and S.H.HosseinNiaKani@tudelft.nl [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25] to describe their sensing dynamics.…”

“….nl and S.H.HosseinNiaKani@tudelft.nl [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25] to describe their sensing dynamics. The reported application studies have investigated exploiting them as translational [11], rotational [26], and omnidirectional [27] position sensors, velocity sensors [28], wall shear stress sensors [29], seismic sensors [30], vibration sensors [31], force sensors [32], flow sensors [33], humidity sensors [34], and wearable pulse and braille sensors [35]. Sensing with IPMCs can be realized by several means i.e.…”

“…The gains of voltage and current amplifiers are 56000 and 116000 respectively. The cut-off frequency of charge amplifier is 15 Hz and its high frequency gain is 1011 . An example of IPMC deformation during experiments.…”

Self-Sensing Ionic Polymer Actuators: A Review

“…There are several smart systems which consist of an IEAP actuator mechanically coupled with a separate piece of sensor material to provide the feedback signal. Examples of such configurations include IPMC actuators linked side-by-side with IPMC sensors [61][62][63] and IPMC actuators stacked with other IPMCs [64], piezoelectric sensors [65,66] or resistive strain gages [67]. From the perspective of potential applications, such mechanically well-coupled systems provide similar functionality to self-sensing and, hence, they are-although not considered in the scope of this review article-briefly outlined in Section 6.…”

“…Figure 12 depicts the diversity of integrated actuator-sensor systems using ionic polymer actuators. Firstly, there are many studies where actuator and sensor of the same ionic polymer transducer are placed in parallel and linked rigidly to ensure that sensor bends together with the actuator (Figure 12a) [61][62][63]100]. In this setup, the sensor is used in the mode where electrical signal is generated between its electrodes due to the motion of actuator.…”