In response to a stimulus, a soft material deforms, and the deformation provides a function. We call such a material a soft active material （SAM）. This review focuses on one class of soft active materials： dielectr...In response to a stimulus, a soft material deforms, and the deformation provides a function. We call such a material a soft active material （SAM）. This review focuses on one class of soft active materials： dielectric elastomers. When a membrane of a dielectric elastomer is subject to a voltage through its thickness, the membrane reduces thickness and expands area, possibly straining over 100%. The dielectric elastomers are being developed as transducers for broad applications, including soft robots, adaptive optics, Braille displays, and electric generators. This paper reviews the theory of dielectric elastomers, developed within continuum mechanics and thermodynamics, and motivated by molecular pictures and empirical observations. The theory couples large deformation and electric potential, and describes nonlinear and nonequilibrium behavior, such as electromechanical instability and viscoelasticity. The theory enables the finite element method to simulate transducers of realistic configurations, predicts the efficiency of electromechanical energy conversion, and suggests alternative routes to achieve giant voltage-induced deformation. It is hoped that the theory will aid in the creation of materials and devices.展开更多
Dielectric elastomer actuator （DEA） show promise for mechatronic applications due to the advantages of dielectric elastomer, such as lightweight, flexible, low cost, high strain, etc, and many configurations of DEAs...Dielectric elastomer actuator （DEA） show promise for mechatronic applications due to the advantages of dielectric elastomer, such as lightweight, flexible, low cost, high strain, etc, and many configurations of DEAs have been demonstrated. As a kind of linear actuator, cone DEAs are studied in some laboratory prototypes due to easy manufacturing, however, their performance have not been exploited fully. Based on the working principle of DEA, a four-bar linkage mechanism is designed to provide negative stiffness preload, which can increase displacement output of actuator （outer diameter 100 mm） to 17 mm. Three cone actuating units are assembled in parallel to enhance the maximum force output to 5.07 N. Loading experiments of actuator in forward and backward strokes are performed, the experimental results show that backward stroke has stronger actuating capability than forward stroke, accordingly application of actuator is recommended. Four factors rather than applied voltage, i.e., number of actuating units, pre-stretch ratio, inner diameter, and outer diameter, are determined as influencing factors for Taguchi method. Then the performance objectives of actuator, i.e., displacement output, maximum force output, and maximum work in backward stroke, are investigated based on L9（34） Taguchi orthogonal design. The mean signal-to-noise （S/N） ratio based on the larger-the-better criterion is calculated according to the acquired displacement and force output. Analytical results show that outer diameter has the most significant influence on displacement output, and maximum force out and work output are influenced most by number of actuating units. Inner diameter also has an important effect on the performance objectives of actuator, while pre-stretch ratio has the least influence. The proposed performance investigation is helpful for the design and application of cone actuator in mechatronic system.展开更多
Grasping of complicated objects is an active research area which is developing fast throughout the years. Soft grippers can be an effective solution, since they are capable of holding workpieces of various shapes and ...Grasping of complicated objects is an active research area which is developing fast throughout the years. Soft grippers can be an effective solution, since they are capable of holding workpieces of various shapes and interacting with unstructured environments effectively. Soft grippers generally consist of soft, flexible and compliant materials, which are able to conform to the shape of the object so that the gripper will not deform or bruise the soft object. Fast grasping of objects with various sizes and shapes remains a challenging task for soft grippers. In the present article, a soft gripper based on bi-stable dielectric elastomer actuator(DEA) inspired by the insect-catching ability of the Venus flytrap, is designed. This soft gripper can achieve good performances in grasping various objects by a simple actuation system. The gripper can switch from one stable state to another when subject to an impulse voltage of 0.04 s. The time duration for each grasping action is 0.17 s, and no continuous voltage is required for holding the gripped object. Thus, energy consumption can be achieved as low as 0.1386 J per grasping action. The mechanism of achieving bi-stable states is related to the duration of impulse voltage applied and the resonant frequency of the structure. The present study demonstrates that bi-stable dielectric elastomer actuators are capable of achieving fast speed for grasping with very low energy consumption, which is significant in the applications to soft grippers and biomimetic robots.展开更多
Dielectric elastomer (DE) is the most promising electroactive polymer material for smart actuators. When a piece of DE film is sandwiched between two compliant electrodes with a high electric field,due to the electros...Dielectric elastomer (DE) is the most promising electroactive polymer material for smart actuators. When a piece of DE film is sandwiched between two compliant electrodes with a high electric field,due to the electrostatic force between the two electrodes,the film expands in-plane and contracts out-of-plane so that its thickness becomes thinner. The thinner thickness results in a higher electric field which inversely squeezes the film again. When the electric field exceeds the critical value,the dielectric field breaks down and the actuator becomes invalid. An elastic strain energy function with two material constants is used to analyze the stability of the dielectric elastomer actuator based on the nonlinear electromechanical field theory. The result shows that the actuator improves its stability as the ratio k of the material constants increases,which can be applied to design of actuators. Finally,this method is extended to study the stability of dielectric elastomers with elastic strain energy functions containing three and more material constants.展开更多
Dielectric elastomer actuators(DEAs) have attracted much interest over the past decades due to the inherent flexibility, large strain, high efficiency, high energy density, and fast response of the material, which are...Dielectric elastomer actuators(DEAs) have attracted much interest over the past decades due to the inherent flexibility, large strain, high efficiency, high energy density, and fast response of the material, which are known as one of the most promising candidates for artificial muscle. In this paper, we first introduce the actuation principle and electromechanical modeling approaches of dielectric elastomers(DEs). Then, the performance of different DEs material and existing compliant electrodes that are widely utilized for DEAs are presented. We also highlight the compatibility of DEs, which is suitable for a variety of actuator designs and applications. Lastly, we summarize the challenges and future development in terms of electromechanical modeling, improvement of materials including compliant electrodes and dielectric elastomer, designs and applications of novel dielectric elastomer actuators.展开更多
基金as a part of a research program on Soft Active Materials,supported at various times by NSF (CMMI-0800161, Large Deformation and Instability in Soft Active Materials)MURI (W911NF-04-1-0170, Design and Processing of Electret Structures+2 种基金 W911NF-09-1-0476, Innovative Design and Processing for Multi-Functional Adaptive Structural Materials)DARPA (W911NF-08-1-0143,ProgrammableMatterW911NF-10-1-0113, Cephalopod-Inspired Adaptive Photonic Systems)
文摘In response to a stimulus, a soft material deforms, and the deformation provides a function. We call such a material a soft active material （SAM）. This review focuses on one class of soft active materials： dielectric elastomers. When a membrane of a dielectric elastomer is subject to a voltage through its thickness, the membrane reduces thickness and expands area, possibly straining over 100%. The dielectric elastomers are being developed as transducers for broad applications, including soft robots, adaptive optics, Braille displays, and electric generators. This paper reviews the theory of dielectric elastomers, developed within continuum mechanics and thermodynamics, and motivated by molecular pictures and empirical observations. The theory couples large deformation and electric potential, and describes nonlinear and nonequilibrium behavior, such as electromechanical instability and viscoelasticity. The theory enables the finite element method to simulate transducers of realistic configurations, predicts the efficiency of electromechanical energy conversion, and suggests alternative routes to achieve giant voltage-induced deformation. It is hoped that the theory will aid in the creation of materials and devices.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50975139, Grant No. 50605031)Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu, China (Grant No. 2008395)+1 种基金Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Robotics, China (Grant No. RLO200912)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 20080441319, Grant No. 200902684)
文摘Dielectric elastomer actuator （DEA） show promise for mechatronic applications due to the advantages of dielectric elastomer, such as lightweight, flexible, low cost, high strain, etc, and many configurations of DEAs have been demonstrated. As a kind of linear actuator, cone DEAs are studied in some laboratory prototypes due to easy manufacturing, however, their performance have not been exploited fully. Based on the working principle of DEA, a four-bar linkage mechanism is designed to provide negative stiffness preload, which can increase displacement output of actuator （outer diameter 100 mm） to 17 mm. Three cone actuating units are assembled in parallel to enhance the maximum force output to 5.07 N. Loading experiments of actuator in forward and backward strokes are performed, the experimental results show that backward stroke has stronger actuating capability than forward stroke, accordingly application of actuator is recommended. Four factors rather than applied voltage, i.e., number of actuating units, pre-stretch ratio, inner diameter, and outer diameter, are determined as influencing factors for Taguchi method. Then the performance objectives of actuator, i.e., displacement output, maximum force output, and maximum work in backward stroke, are investigated based on L9（34） Taguchi orthogonal design. The mean signal-to-noise （S/N） ratio based on the larger-the-better criterion is calculated according to the acquired displacement and force output. Analytical results show that outer diameter has the most significant influence on displacement output, and maximum force out and work output are influenced most by number of actuating units. Inner diameter also has an important effect on the performance objectives of actuator, while pre-stretch ratio has the least influence. The proposed performance investigation is helpful for the design and application of cone actuator in mechatronic system.
基金supported by MOE Tier 1,Singapore(Grant No.R-265-000-609-114)the ASTAR,Singapore(Grant No.R-265-000-629-305)
文摘Grasping of complicated objects is an active research area which is developing fast throughout the years. Soft grippers can be an effective solution, since they are capable of holding workpieces of various shapes and interacting with unstructured environments effectively. Soft grippers generally consist of soft, flexible and compliant materials, which are able to conform to the shape of the object so that the gripper will not deform or bruise the soft object. Fast grasping of objects with various sizes and shapes remains a challenging task for soft grippers. In the present article, a soft gripper based on bi-stable dielectric elastomer actuator(DEA) inspired by the insect-catching ability of the Venus flytrap, is designed. This soft gripper can achieve good performances in grasping various objects by a simple actuation system. The gripper can switch from one stable state to another when subject to an impulse voltage of 0.04 s. The time duration for each grasping action is 0.17 s, and no continuous voltage is required for holding the gripped object. Thus, energy consumption can be achieved as low as 0.1386 J per grasping action. The mechanism of achieving bi-stable states is related to the duration of impulse voltage applied and the resonant frequency of the structure. The present study demonstrates that bi-stable dielectric elastomer actuators are capable of achieving fast speed for grasping with very low energy consumption, which is significant in the applications to soft grippers and biomimetic robots.
文摘Dielectric elastomer (DE) is the most promising electroactive polymer material for smart actuators. When a piece of DE film is sandwiched between two compliant electrodes with a high electric field,due to the electrostatic force between the two electrodes,the film expands in-plane and contracts out-of-plane so that its thickness becomes thinner. The thinner thickness results in a higher electric field which inversely squeezes the film again. When the electric field exceeds the critical value,the dielectric field breaks down and the actuator becomes invalid. An elastic strain energy function with two material constants is used to analyze the stability of the dielectric elastomer actuator based on the nonlinear electromechanical field theory. The result shows that the actuator improves its stability as the ratio k of the material constants increases,which can be applied to design of actuators. Finally,this method is extended to study the stability of dielectric elastomers with elastic strain energy functions containing three and more material constants.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51575187&91223201)Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou(Grant No.2014Y2-00217)+3 种基金Science and Technology Major Project of Huangpu District of Guangzhou(Grant No.20150000661)Research Project of State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration(Grant No.MSV201405)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central University(Grant No.2015ZZ007)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(Grant No.S2013030013355)
文摘Dielectric elastomer actuators(DEAs) have attracted much interest over the past decades due to the inherent flexibility, large strain, high efficiency, high energy density, and fast response of the material, which are known as one of the most promising candidates for artificial muscle. In this paper, we first introduce the actuation principle and electromechanical modeling approaches of dielectric elastomers(DEs). Then, the performance of different DEs material and existing compliant electrodes that are widely utilized for DEAs are presented. We also highlight the compatibility of DEs, which is suitable for a variety of actuator designs and applications. Lastly, we summarize the challenges and future development in terms of electromechanical modeling, improvement of materials including compliant electrodes and dielectric elastomer, designs and applications of novel dielectric elastomer actuators.
