Dielectric elastomers as electromechanical transducers - Fundamentals, materials, devices, models & applications of an emerging electroactive polymer technology

This book describes one of the most promising classes of polymer-based smart materials and technologies for electromechanical transducers and "pseudo-muscular" actuation devices to be used in a very broad range of applications, spanning from robotics and automation to the biomedical field. This class of materials, known as "dielectric elastomers", belong to the larger family of so-called ElectroActive Polymers (EAP), currently being developed and studied as "artificial muscles". Dielectric elastomer actuation is drawing a particular interest because of its promise of simple and robust low-cost devices with overall performance exceeding most conventional technologies, such as electromagnetics and piezoelectrics. In fact, dielectric elastomer actuators have demonstrated strain and energy density exceeding that of all high-speed field-activated actuation technologies. Further, in addition to actuation, dielectric elastomers have also been shown to offer unique possibilities for improved generator and sensing devices. Dielectric elastomer transduction was introduced during the 1990s, pioneered by SRI International. Although the field is still being explored and expanded extensively, a great deal of work has already been done, with encouraging results. This technology is enabling today an enormous range of applications that were not possible with any other EAP or smart-material technology until a few years ago. For interested readers, this book is expected to provide a comprehensive and updated insight on this technology. The book covers all the fundamental aspects, comprising a collection of chapters written by the fathers of this technology, along with the most renowned international contributors in the field. The presented topics range from transduction principles, basic materials properties, design of devices, material and device modelling, up to possible applications and future research avenues. Such an extension of the covered topics is expected to make this text as the first reference handbook on dielectric elastomer transduction. Book jacket. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

Electroactive polymer actuators as artificial muscles: are they ready for bioinspired applications?

Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators are electrically responsive materials that have several characteristics in common with natural muscles. Thus, they are being studied as \u27artificial muscles\u27 for a variety of biomimetic motion applications. EAP materials are commonly classified into two major families: ionic EAPs, activated by an electrically induced transport of ions and/or solvent, and electronic EAPs, activated by electrostatic forces. Although several EAP materials and their properties have been known for many decades, they have found very limited applications. Such a trend has changed recently as a result of an effective synergy of at least three main factors: key scientific breakthroughs being achieved in some of the existing EAP technologies; unprecedented electromechanical properties being discovered in materials previously developed for different purposes; and higher concentration of efforts for industrial exploitation. As an outcome, after several years of basic research, today the EAP field is just starting to undergo transition from academia into commercialization, with significant investments from large companies. This paper presents a brief overview on the full range of EAP actuator types and the most significant areas of interest for applications. It is hoped that this overview can instruct the reader on how EAPs can enable bioinspired motion systems