Journal article
A Soft Mechatronic Microstage Mechanism Based on Electroactive Polymer Actuators
IEEE/ASME transactions on mechatronics, Vol.21(3), pp.1467-1478
20/11/2015
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Abstract
Smart actuators have a considerable potential to articulate novel mechanisms and mechatronic devices inspired from biological systems. Electroactive polymer actuators (EAPs), as a class of smart and soft actuators, are ideal candidates for bioinspired mechatronic applications due to their compliance and built-in actuation ability originating from the material they are made of. In this paper, we report on a soft mechatronic mechanism, like a positioning stage, fabricated from bending-type EAP actuators as a one-piece fully compliant mechanism inspired from twining structures in nature. We have employed a quasi-static finite-element model combined with a soft robotic kinematic model to estimate the mechanical output of the soft mechatronic mechanism as a function of a single electrical input. Experiments were conducted under a range of electrical step inputs (0.25-1 V) and sine-wave inputs with various frequencies to validate the models. Experimental and simulation results show that this electrically stimulated soft mechatronic mechanism generates a linear displacement as large as 1.8 mm under 1 V out of its fabrication plane like a lamina emergent mechanism, while its bioinspired spiral parts bend and twine. This fully compliant and compact mechanism can find a place in optics as a microstage and/or an optical zoom mechanism.
Details
- Title
- A Soft Mechatronic Microstage Mechanism Based on Electroactive Polymer Actuators
- Creators
- Rahim Mutlu - ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials ScienceGursel Alici - Mater. & Mechatron. Eng. & ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Sci., Univ. of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, AustraliaWeihua Li - University of Wollongong
- Publication Details
- IEEE/ASME transactions on mechatronics, Vol.21(3), pp.1467-1478
- Publisher
- IEEE
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- Intelligent Nano-Tera Research Systems Laboratory CE0561616; CE140100012 / ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (10.13039/501100003242)
- Identifiers
- 991013225622802368
- Copyright
- © 2016, IEEE
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article