Fiber-Reinforced Equibiaxial Dielectric Elastomer Actuator for Out-of-Plane Displacement
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have gained significant attention due to their potential in soft robotics and adaptive structures. However, their performance is often limited by their in-plane strain distribution and limited mechanical stability. We introduce a novel design utilizing fiber reinforcement to address these challenges. The fiber reinforcement provides enhanced mechanical integrity and improved strain distribution, enabling efficient energy conversion and out-of-plane displacement. We discuss an analytical model and the fabrication process, including material selection, to realize fiber-reinforced DEAs. Numerical simulations and experimental results demonstrate the performance of the fiber-reinforced equibiaxial DEAs and characterize their displacement and force capabilities. Actuators with four and eight fibers are fabricated with 100 (Formula presented.) m and 200 (Formula presented.) m dielectric thicknesses. A maximal out-of-plane displacement of 500 (Formula presented.) m is reached, with a force of 0.18 N, showing promise for the development of haptic devices.
Details
| Original language | English |
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| Article number | 3672 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Materials |
| Volume | 17 (2024) |
| Issue number | 15 |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Jul 2024 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| ORCID | /0000-0002-7062-9598/work/174430528 |
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Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- dielectric elastomer actuators, fiber reinforcement, haptic interfaces, soft actuators