Pulsed actuation avoids failure in dielectric elastomer artificial muscles

Novel Arrangements for High Performance and Durable Dielectric Elastomer Actuation

This paper advances the design of Rod Pre-strained Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (RP-DEAs) in their capability to generate comparatively large static actuation forces with increased lifetime via optimized electrode arrangements. RP-DEAs utilize thin stiff rods to constrain the expansion of the elastomer and maintain the in-plane pre-strain in the rod longitudinal direction. The aim is to study...

Tunable millimeter-wave phase shifter based on dielectric elastomer actuation

A very low-loss tunable millimeter-wave phase shifter driven by dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) is presented. The device consists of a fixed coplanar waveguide (CPW) and two metallic loading strips suspended on an elastomer membrane. The horizontal offset between the CPW and the strips is dynamically controlled by integrated DEAs. The variable interaction between the CPW and the loading s...

Large-scale failure modes of dielectric elastomer actuators

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) show promise for robotic and mechatronic applications. However, to date, these actuators have experienced high rates of failure that have prevented their practical application. Here, large scale modes of failure of DEAs and their performance limits are studied. The objective is to provide design guidelines and bound the performance of DEAs that avoid failur...

Dielectric Elastomers Conductive Elastomer Insulating Elastomer

Helical dielectric elastomer actuators

This paper presents a new type of contractile polymer-based electromechanical linear actuator. The device belongs to the class of dielectric elastomer actuators, which are typically capable of undergoing large deformations induced by an applied electric field. It is based on a novel helical configuration, suitable for the generation of electrically driven axial contractions and radial expansion...