Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) XII

 

EAP-in-Action Session, March 8, 2010

 

Moderator: Conference Chair: Yoseph Bar-Cohen, Jet Propulsion Lab.

 

Country

Presenters

Topic of demo

China

Harbin Institute of Technology:

Jinsong Leng, Zhen Zhang, Liwu Liu, Xin Lan

1. Tactile display using stacked dielectric elastomer - 8×8 matrix tactile display cells actuated by stacked dielectric elastomer with mechanical load-transmitting and voltage control systems

2. Braille printer using refreshable shape-memory polymer (SMP) paper - Using thermosetting SMP paper Braille text is printed in refreshable form.

(1)     (2)

Denmark

Danfoss PolyPower A/S: Hans-Erik Kiil & Mike Tryson

 

Demos actuated by PolyPower dielectric EAP films – (1) High Strain PolyPower Films (>100%); (2) fluid control system using EAP actuators; (3) vibration isolation; and (4) force sensor array.

(1)&(4)  (2)   (3)

Italy

University of Pisa, Research Centre “E. Piaggio”: Federico Carpi

Hydrostatically coupled dielectric elastomer actuators - A fluid is used to hydrostatically transfer forces to a load without direct contact with active elements offering improved safety and higher versatility.

 figure

New Zealand

The Auckland Bioengineering Institute's Biomimetics Lab: Iain Anderson Emilio Calius, Todd Gisby, Thomas McKay and Ben O’Brien

Dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) - demonstrations of actuation, sensing and control - 1) Capacitive, high specific torque rotary motor; 2) Biomimetic multi-segment DEA spherical rotor; 3) 4-channel EAP controller; and 4)  Other self-sensing and DEA-based demonstrations focusing on bio-inspired DEA

(1)   (2)  (3)

USA

Artificial Muscle, Inc. (AMI): Marcus Rosenthal, James Biggs, and Al Zarrabi

Reflex™ haptic feedback technology – Platforms for consumer electronics including touch screen devices and gaming controllers driven by dielectric elastomer EPAM™

National Braille Press: Deane Blazie and Noel Runyan

Commercial Active Braille displays

Ras Labs, LLC: Lenore Rasmussen

Contractile EAPs (1) Contractile EAPs with low electric input; (2) EAPs capable of contraction-expansion cycles.

(1)

UCLA: Qibing Pei, Zhibin Yu, Paul Brochu, Xiaofan Niu, Wei Yuan, and Huafeng Li,

Bi-stable electroactive polymers (BSEP)

 

iRobot: Erik Steltz

Jamming as an Enabling Technology for Soft Robotics - 1) Jamming Skin Enabled Locomotion prototype – A completely soft, approximately six inch robot capable of both dramatic self-induced shape change and a rolling gait.; and 2)  Jamming Modulated Unimorph – A new actuator concept in which a central actuator (in this case a pneumatic McKibben actuator) is modulated by jamming chambers to make a controlled, multi-DOF unimorph actuator.

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This Session that is held annually as part of the SPIE’s EAPAD conference is intended to turn the spotlight on Electroactive Polymers (EAP) materials and their applications as well as increase the recognition of their potential for smart structures.   New materials and applications are continuing to emerge and this session is intended to provide the attendees an opportunity to see a demonstration of EAP materials in action.  This Session offers a forum of interaction between the technology developers and potential users as well as a "hands-on" experience with this emerging technology.  It provides a great opportunity to see the capability of state-of-the-art of EAP as potential actuators-of-choice.  The first Human/EAP-Robot Armwrestling Contest was held during this session of the 2005 EAPAD conference.

 

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