Rapid deformation of IPMC under a high electrical pulse stimulus inspired by action potential

During the last years, great progress was made in material science in terms of concept, design and fabrication of new composite materials with conferred properties and desired functionalities. The scientific community paid particular interest to active soft materials, such as soft actuators, for their potential as transducers responding to various stimuli aiming to produce mechanical work. Inspired by this, materials engineers today are developing multidisciplinary approaches to produce new active matters, focusing on the kinematics allowed by the material itself more than on the possibilities offered by its design. Traditionally, more complex motions beyond pure elongation and bending are addressed by the robotics community. The present review targets encompassing and rationalizing a framework which will help a wider scientific audience to understand, sort and design future soft actuators and methods enabling complex motions. Special attention is devoted to recent progress in developing innovative stimulus-responsive materials and approaches for complex motion programming for soft robotics. In this context, a challenging overview of the new materials as well as their classification and comparison (performances and characteristics) are proposed. In addition, the great potential of soft transducers are outlined in terms of kinematic capabilities, illustrated by the related application. Guidelines are provided to design actuators and to integrate asymmetry enabling motions along any of the six basic degrees of freedom (translations and rotations), and strategies towards the programming of more complex motions are discussed. As a final note, a series of manufacturing methods are described and compared, from molding to 3D and 4D printing. The review ends with a Perspectives section, from material science and microrobotic points of view, on the soft materials’ future and close future challenges to be overcome.

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“…Electrolyte membrane (Nafion [94][95][96], Flemion [97], Aciplex [97]), electrode (gold [94], gold-chromium [95], palladium [96], platinum [97])…”

Section: Shape Memory Polymer (Smp)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Programmable Stimuli-Responsive Actuators for Complex Motions in Soft Robotics: Concept, Design and Challenges

et al. 2020

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“…Recently, a bioinspired electrical input based on the action potential was proposed as an effective way to circumvent this issue. 8 In theory, the application of a large amplitude, short duration voltage pulse charges the double layer rapidly, inducing a fast actuation response due to the rapid ion redistribution. The narrow pulse width is tuned such that the peak voltage is reduced before any electrolysis occurs.…”

Section: Recent Advances In Ipmcs and Their Prospects In Roboticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing next generation ionic polymer–metal composite materials: perspectives for enabling robotics and biomimetics

Olsen

2020

Polymer International

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“…However, multilayers are easy to separate by long-term use, while casting a thick membrane will decrease the deformation and response rate. To improve the response rate of IPMC, Zhu et al employed a high voltage pulse as the electric excitation signal for a short time in the early stage, by which the deformation attenuation of the thick IPMC could be avoided (Zhu et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Conclusion and Remarksmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Compact Review of IPMC as Soft Actuator and Sensor: Current Trends, Challenges, and Potential Solutions From Our Recent Work

et al. 2019

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Recently, attempts have been made to develop ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC), which is garnering growing interest for ionic artificial muscle, as a soft actuator and sensor due to its inherent properties of low weight, flexibility, softness, and particularly, its efficient transformation of electrical energy into mechanical energy, with large bending strain response under a low activation voltage. In this paper, we focused on several current deficiencies of IPMC that restrict its application, such as non-standardized preparation steps, relaxation under DC voltage, solvent evaporation, and poor output force. Corresponding solutions to overcome the abovementioned problems have recently been proposed from our point of view and developed through our research. After a brief introduction to the working mechanism of IPMC, we here investigate the key factors that influence the actuating performance of IPMC. We also review the optimization strategies in IPMC actuation, including those for preparation steps, additive selection for a thick casting membrane, solvent substitutes, water content, encapsulation, etc. With consideration of the role of the interface electrode, its effects on the performance of IPMC are revealed based on our previous work. Finally, we also discuss IPMCs as potential sensors theoretically and experimentally. The elimination of the deficiencies of IPMC will promote its applications in soft robotics.

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Rapid deformation of IPMC under a high electrical pulse stimulus inspired by action potential

Cited by 23 publications

References 17 publications

Programmable Stimuli-Responsive Actuators for Complex Motions in Soft Robotics: Concept, Design and Challenges

Programmable Stimuli-Responsive Actuators for Complex Motions in Soft Robotics: Concept, Design and Challenges

Developing next generation ionic polymer–metal composite materials: perspectives for enabling robotics and biomimetics

A Compact Review of IPMC as Soft Actuator and Sensor: Current Trends, Challenges, and Potential Solutions From Our Recent Work

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