Flexible low-mass devices and mechanisms actuated by electroactive polymers

Yoseph Bar-Cohen; Sean P. Leary; Mohsen Shahinpoor; Joycelyn S. Harrison; Joseph G. Smith

doi:10.1117/12.349697

28 May 1999 Flexible low-mass devices and mechanisms actuated by electroactive polymers

Yoseph Bar-Cohen, Sean P. Leary, Mohsen Shahinpoor, Joycelyn S. Harrison, Joseph G. Smith

Proceedings Volume 3669, Smart Structures and Materials 1999: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.349697
Event: 1999 Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 1999, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

Miniature, lightweight, miser actuators that operate similar to biological muscles can be used to develop robotic devices with unmatched capabilities to impact many technology areas. Electroactive polymers (EAP) offer the potential to producing such actuators and their main attractive feature is their ability to induce relatively large bending or longitudinal strain. Generally, these materials produce a relatively low force and the applications that can be considered at the current state of the art are relatively limited. This reported study is concentrating on the development of effective EAPs and the resultant enabling mechanisms employing their unique characteristics. Several EAP driven mechanisms, which emulate human hand, were developed including a gripper, manipulator arm and surface wiper. The manipulator arm was made of a composite rod with an EAP actuator consisting of a scrolled rope that is activated longitudinally by an electrostatic field. A gripper was made to serve as an end effector and it consisted of multiple bending EAP fingers for grabbing and holding such objects as rocks. An EAP surface wiper was developed to operate like a human finger and to demonstrate the potential to remove dust from optical and IR windows as well as solar cells. These EAP driven devices are taking advantage of the large actuation displacement of these materials but there is need for a significantly greater actuation force capability.

Citation Download Citation

Yoseph Bar-Cohen, Sean P. Leary, Mohsen Shahinpoor, Joycelyn S. Harrison, and Joseph G. Smith "Flexible low-mass devices and mechanisms actuated by electroactive polymers", Proc. SPIE 3669, Smart Structures and Materials 1999: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices, (28 May 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.349697

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