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NIA Seminar by Qibing Pei |
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Date: January 20, 2006
Time: 10:30am
Location: NIA, Rm 137
Electroelastomer Artificial Muscles and Biomimetic Robots
Qibing Pei, University of California, Los Angeles
Electroelastomers (electroactive elastomers, a.k.a. dielectric elastomers) such as those based on acrylic elastomer films with compliant electrodes, when highly prestrained, exhibit up to 380% electromechanical strain in area expansion at 5 to 6 kV. By rolling highly prestrained acrylic films around a compression spring, multifunctional electroelastomer rolls (MERs, or spring rolls) were obtained that combined load bearing, actuation, and sensing functions. The design was extended to two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) and 3-DOF spring rolls by patterning the electrodes along the circumferential spans of the rolls. Multiple-DOF spring rolls retained the linear actuation of 1-DOF spring rolls with additional bending actuation. New electroelastomers were developed that preserved the high strain and energy capability of the acrylic films but could respond one order of magnitude faster. Further new electroelastomers were prepared that exhibited >200% strain without the need for prestrain. These materials may enable new actuators containing no prestrain-supporting structures that are even lighter, more compact, and compliant. Improvements in MER design and materials have enabled a new generation of small walking robots, MERbot, with a multi-DOF spring roll as each of its six legs. Various other bimimetic robotic concepts will also be presented.
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