Dielectric elastomer artificial muscle actuators: toward biomimetic motion

Ron Pelrine; Roy D. Kornbluh; Qibing Pei; Scott Stanford; Seajin Oh; Joseph Eckerle; Robert J. Full; Marcus A. Rosenthal; Kenneth Meijer

doi:10.1117/12.475157

11 July 2002 Dielectric elastomer artificial muscle actuators: toward biomimetic motion

Ron Pelrine, Roy D. Kornbluh, Qibing Pei, Scott Stanford, Seajin Oh, Joseph Eckerle, Robert J. Full, Marcus A. Rosenthal, Kenneth Meijer

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4695, Smart Structures and Materials 2002: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD); (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.475157
Event: SPIE's 9th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 2002, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

To achieve desirable biomimetic motion, actuators must be able to reproduce the important features of natural muscle such as power, stress, strain, speed of response, efficiency, and controllability. It is a mistake, however, to consider muscle as only an energy output device. Muscle is multifunctional. In locomotion, muscle often acts as an energy absorber, variable-stiffness suspension element, or position sensor, for example. Electroactive polymer technologies based on the electric-field-induced deformation of polymer dielectrics with compliant electrodes are particularly promising because they have demonstrated high strains and energy densities. Testing with experimental biological techniques and apparatus has confirmed that these dielectric elastomer artificial muscles can indeed reproduce several of the important characteristics of natural muscle. Several different artificial muscle actuator configurations have been tested, including flat actuators and tubular rolls. Rolls have been shown to act as structural elements and to incorporate position sensing. Biomimetic robot applications have been explored that exploit the muscle-like capabilities of the dielectric elastomer actuators, including serpentine manipulators, insect-like flapping-wing mechanisms, and insect-like walking robots.

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Ron Pelrine, Roy D. Kornbluh, Qibing Pei, Scott Stanford, Seajin Oh, Joseph Eckerle, Robert J. Full, Marcus A. Rosenthal, and Kenneth Meijer "Dielectric elastomer artificial muscle actuators: toward biomimetic motion", Proc. SPIE 4695, Smart Structures and Materials 2002: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD), (11 July 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.475157

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