scholarly journals Monolithic Stacked Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Shintake ◽  
Daiki Ichige ◽  
Ryo Kanno ◽  
Toshiaki Nagai ◽  
Keita Shimizu
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Free Form ◽  
Microfluidic Channels ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Elastomeric Matrix ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Multiple Electrodes ◽  
Output Force

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are a promising actuator technology for soft robotics. As a configuration of this technology, stacked DEAs afford a muscle-like contraction that is useful to build soft robotic systems. In stacked DEAs, dielectric and electrode layers are alternately stacked. Thus, often a dedicated setup with complicated processes or sometimes laborious manual stacking of the layers is required to fabricate stacked actuators. In this study, we propose a method to monolithically fabricate stacked DEAs without alternately stacking the dielectric and electrode layers. In this method, the actuators are fabricated mainly through two steps: 1) molding of an elastomeric matrix containing free-form microfluidic channels and 2) injection of a liquid conductive material that acts as an electrode. The feasibility of our method is investigated via the fabrication and characterization of simple monolithic DEAs with multiple electrodes (2, 4, and 10). The fabricated actuators are characterized in terms of actuation stroke, output force, and frequency response. In the actuators, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and eutectic gallium–indium (EGaIn) are used for the elastomeric matrix and electrode material, respectively. Microfluidic channels are realized by dissolving a three-dimensional printed part suspended in the elastomeric structure. The experimental results show the successful implementation of the proposed method and the good agreement between the measured data and theoretical predication, validating the feasibility of the proposed method.

Fabrication and characterization of linear motion dielectric elastomer actuators

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Young Jung ◽  
Nguyen Huu Chuc ◽  
Jung Woo Kim ◽  
Ig Mo Koo ◽  
Kwang Mok Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Linear Motion ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Fabrication And Characterization

scholarly journals Dielectric Elastomer Fiber Actuators with Aqueous Electrode

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 4310
Author(s):  
Keita Shimizu ◽  
Toshiaki Nagai ◽  
Jun Shintake
Keyword(s):  
Chloride Solution ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Driving Frequency ◽  
Silicone Tube ◽  
Linear Type ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Actuation Strain

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are one of the promising actuation technologies for soft robotics. This study proposes a fiber-shaped DEA, namely dielectric elastomer fiber actuators (DEFAs). The actuator consisted of a silicone tube filled with the aqueous electrode (sodium chloride solution). Furthermore, it could generate linear and bending actuation in a water environment, which acts as the ground side electrode. Linear-type DEFA and bending-type DEFA were fabricated and characterized to prove the concept. A mixture of Ecoflex 00–30 (Smooth-On) and Sylgard 184 (Dow Corning) was employed in these actuators for the tube part, which was 75.0-mm long with outer and inner diameters of 6.0 mm and 5.0 mm, respectively. An analytical model was constructed to design and predict the behavior of the devices. In the experiments, the linear-type DEFA exhibited an actuation strain and force of 1.3% and 42.4 mN, respectively, at 10 kV (~20 V/µm) with a response time of 0.2 s. The bending-type DEFA exhibited an actuation angle of 8.1° at 10 kV (~20 V/µm). Subsequently, a jellyfish-type robot was developed and tested, which showed the swimming speed of 3.1 mm/s at 10 kV and the driving frequency of 4 Hz. The results obtained in this study show the successful implementation of the actuator concept and demonstrate its applicability for soft robotics.

scholarly journals Styrenic-Rubber Dielectric Elastomer Actuator with Inherent Stiffness Compensation

Actuators ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Giacomo Moretti ◽  
Luca Sarina ◽  
Lorenzo Agostini ◽  
Rocco Vertechy ◽  
Giovanni Berselli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Design Procedure ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Side Length ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Mechanical Stiffness ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Mechanical Elements ◽  
First Time

Up to date, Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEA) have been mostly based on either silicone or acrylic elastomers, whereas the potential of DEAs based on inexpensive, wide-spread natural and synthetic rubbers has been scarcely investigated. In this paper, a DEA based on a styrene-based rubber is demonstrated for the first time. Using a Lozenge-Shaped DEA (LS-DEA) layout and following a design procedure previously proposed by the authors, we develop prototypes featuring nearly-zero mechanical stiffness, in spite of the large elastic modulus of styrenic rubber. Stiffness compensation is achieved by simply taking advantage of a biaxial pre-stretching of the rubber DE membrane, with no need for additional stiffness cancellation mechanical elements. In the paper, we present a characterization of the styrene rubber-based LS-DEA in different loading conditions (namely, isopotential, isometric, and isotonic), and we prove that actuation strokes of at least 18% the actuator side length can be achieved, thanks to the proposed stiffness-compensated design.

Characterization of slide ring materials for dielectric elastomer actuators

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Shintake ◽  
Koya Matsuno ◽  
Kazumasa Baba ◽  
Hiromitsu Takeuchi
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Dielectric Strength ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Elongation At Break ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Elastomeric Materials ◽  
Mechanical Performances

Abstract This paper investigates the characteristics of sliding ring materials (SRMs), which are promising elastomeric materials for dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). Two different types of SRMs with Young's modulus of 0.8 MPa and 3.3 MPa, respectively, are prepared, and their material and mechanical properties and electro-mechanical performances at electric fields of up to 30 V/um are characterized. For comparison, the same tests are also performed on several commercially available elastomers: Elastosil 2030, Ecoflex 00-30, CF19-2186, and VHB 4905. The results reveal that SRMs demonstrate negligible Mullins effect and hysteresis, while their dielectric strength (62.4‒112.4 V/µm) and viscoelasticity (tan⁡δ 0.07‒0.24 at 10 Hz) are comparable or even superior to those of other elastomers. In addition, elongation at break is found to be 163.8‒172.1%. SRMs exhibit excellent electro-mechanical performance; for instance, one of the two types has an actuation force 293.2 mN at 24.9 V/µm and a strain of 5.2% at 22.3 V/µm. These values are the largest or larger than most of the tested elastomers. The high performance of SRMs results from their dielectric constant, which ranges from 10.3‒13.4, leading to an electro-mechanical sensitivity of up to 15.3 MPa-1. These results illustrate SRMs as attractive material options for DEAs.

scholarly journals Characterization and Optimization of Elastomeric Electrodes for Dielectric Elastomer Artificial Muscles

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 5542
Author(s):  
Guangqiang Ma ◽  
Xiaojun Wu ◽  
Lijin Chen ◽  
Xin Tong ◽  
Weiwei Zhao
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Elastomeric Matrix ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Lower Elongation ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Long Term Performance ◽  
Term Performance ◽  
Conductive Particles ◽  
Compliant Electrodes

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are an emerging type of soft actuation technology. As a fundamental unit of a DEA, the characteristics of compliant electrodes play a crucial role in the actuation performances of DEAs. Generally, the compliant electrodes can be categorized into uncured and cured types, of which the cured one commonly involves mixing conductive particles into an elastomeric matrix before curing, thus demonstrating a better long-term performance. Along with the increasing proportion of conductive particles, the electrical conductivity increases at the cost of a stiffer electrode and lower elongation at break ratio. For different DEA applications, it can be more desirable to minimize the electrode stiffness or to maximize its conductivity. In examination of the papers published in recent years, few works have characterized the effects of elastomeric electrodes on the outputs of DEAs, or of their optimizations under different application scenarios. In this work, we propose an experimental framework to characterize the performances of elastomeric electrodes with different formulas based on the two key parameters of stiffness and conductivity. An optimizing method is developed and verified by two different application cases (e.g., quasi-static and dynamic). The findings and the methods developed in this work can offer potential approaches for developing high-performance DEAs.

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