Considerations for Contractile Electroactive Materials and Actuators
Authors: Lenore Rasmussen, David Schramm, Paul Rasmussen, Kevin Mullaly, Ras Labs, LLC, Intelligent Materials for Prosthetics & Automation, Lewis D. Meixler, Daniel Pearlman and Alice Kirk
Abstract:
Ras Labs produces contractile electroactive polymer (EAP) based materials and actuators that bend, swell,
ripple, and contract (new development) with low electric input. In addition, Ras Labs produces EAP
materials that quickly contract and expand, repeatedly, by reversing the polarity of the electric input, which
can be cycled. This phenomenon was explored using molecular modeling, followed by experimentation.
Applied voltage step functions were also investigated. High voltage steps followed by low voltage steps
produced a larger contraction followed by a smaller contraction. Actuator control by simply adjusting the
electric input is extremely useful for biomimetic applications. Muscles are able to partially contract. If
muscles could only completely contract, nobody could hold an egg, for example, without breaking it. A
combination of high and low voltage step functions could produce gross motor function and fine
manipulation within the same actuator unit. Plasma treated electrodes with various geometries were
investigated as a means of providing for more durable actuation.
__________________________________________________
Presented at: Electroactive Polmer and Device (EAPAD) Meeting, San Diego, California (March 7-10, 2011)
__________________________________________________
Download PPPL-4606 (pdf 3.90 MB 13 pp)
__________________________________________________