• Journal of the KSME
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.48-52
• /
• 2004

과거 10여 년 간 Electro-Active Polymer(EAP) 분야는 큰 변형을 낼 수 있는 지능재료들이 출현함에 따라 인공근육을 만들 수 있는 가능성으로 인해 많은 관심이 모아지고 있다. EAP는 외부의 자극에 따라 큰 변위를 생성할 뿐만 아니라 근육과 같이 탄력성이 있는, 다른 재료기술들이 낼 수 없는 특성과 성능을 가지고 있다. EAP가 갖는 생체근육과 같은 작동을 할 수 있는 가능성은 곧 공상과학의 꿈을 이루고자하는 희망을 갖게 하며 인류의 문명발전에 크게 기여할 것이다. EAP는 차세대 마이크로 로봇, 오락산업 또는 초소형 비행체의 구동과 같은 인공근육 작동기의 응용분야를 창출하고 있다. EAP 작동기의 응용성은 폭넓으며 새로운 기술혁신의 기대를 불러 일으키고 있다. (중략)

• Journal of the KSME
• /
• v.47 no.8
• /
• pp.20-22
• /
• 2007

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.156-163
• /
• 2013

This paper describes a flexible visuo-haptic display module. We have developed a flexible electro-active polymer (EAP) actuator and a thin flexible visual display with $3{\times}3$ array configuration via polymer technology. The flexible actuator consists of nine EAP cells vertically moving in response to change in their thickness. The flexible display uses polymer based optical waveguide allowing light to scatter only at specific area. The display film is transparent and identically designed to the array pattern to fit for the arrangement of actuator cells. A pressure sensor is installed under the integrated module. The performance of the actuator is proved to be sufficient for satisfying perceivable range of human touch sense. The integrated system can provide interactive haptic feedback such as key pressing, contact vibration sensations, and etc. in accordance with user input.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.108-116
• /
• 2019

Electro-active polymers and dielectric elastomers have many intriguing properties that enable smart interfaces and electrically tunable optical systems, such as haptic feedback devices, artificial muscles, and expansion-tunable optical elements. These device classes are of great interest owing to their promising roles in next-generation technologies including virtual or augmented reality, human sensing and muscular enhancement, and artificial skins. In this report, we review basic principles, current state-of-the-art techniques, and future prospects of electro-active and dielectric elastomer technology. We describe chemical and physical properties of the most promising polymer substances, essential elementary architectures for artificial muscle-like functionalities, and their applications to haptic interfaces, muscular enhancement, and focus-tunable optical elements.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.736-743
• /
• 2001

An electro- active polymer (EAP) (poly(2-acrylamido-2- methyl propane sulfonic acid), PAMPS) gel crosslinked with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA) has been prepared by free radical polymerization in aqueous solution with potassium persulfate as initiator PAMPS gel was swollen in surfactant solution to substitute surfactant for using as actuator. PAMPS gel showed a large movement in the surfactant solution by electric field. PAMPS gel showed the reversible binding and fast response rate. Bending mechanism of gel is related to the cooperative process of hydrophobic interaction, swelling-deswelling of gel and the electrostatic attraction between anode (+) and the anions of PAMPS gel. The response rate of PAMPS gel was increased as the applied potential and the degree of cross-linkage were increased. The response rate was increased as the bending cycle was repeated, but it was decreased with increasing the gel thickness.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
• /
• v.15 no.9 s.102
• /
• pp.1077-1083
• /
• 2005

Electro-Active Paper (EAPap) is one of attractive electro-active polymer (EAP) materials for artificial muscles due to its many advantages such as light weight, biologically degradable, low cost, large displacement output, low actuation voltage and low power consumption. However, drawbacks of EAPap actuators include low force output and humidity dependence. To enhance the performance of EAPap, conductive polymer (PPy) and SWNT/conductive polymer (PANI) are coated on EAPap PPy as conductive polymer is coated on cellulose EAPap by means of electrochemical deposition. Two different dopants are used in PPy through conducting polymer processing. SWNTS are mixed with PANI in emeraldine base along with different dopants. The compound materials are coated on cellulose EAPap using spin coating system. The performance of PPy/EAPap and SWNT/PANI/EAPap are evaluated in terms of bending displacement, blocked force, and the effects of dopants, humidity, coaling time, voltage and frequency are investigated. Comparing with EAPap actuators, SWNT/PANI/EAPap actuators show $200\%$ improvement of bending displacement and $300\%$ increment of blocked force.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.36 no.12
• /
• pp.1497-1502
• /
• 2012

To manufacture a robot hand that essentially mimics the functions of a human hand, it is necessary to develop flexible actuators and sensors. In this study, we propose the design, manufacture, and performance verification of flexible actuators and sensors based on Electro Active Polymer (EAP). EAP is fabricated as a type of film, and it moves with changes in the voltage because of contraction and expansion in the polymer film. Furthermore, if a force is applied to an EAP film, its thickness and effective area change, and therefore, the capacitance also changes. By using this mechanism, we produce capacitive actuators and sensors. In this study, we propose an EAP-based capacitive sensor and evaluate its use as a robot hand sensor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.275-278
• /
• 2004

Electro-Active Paper (EAPap) is attractive for EAP actuator due to its merit in terms of light weight, dry condition, large displacement output, low actuation voltage and low power consumption. The EAPap is based on cellulose paper, and is shown to involve primarily transport of ions in response to an external electric field. This actuating mechanism is similar to conductive polymer based actuators. For performance improvement of EAPap, hybrid actuators are tried. The actuators based on cellulose paper attached conducting polypyrrole, polyaniline and single wall carbon nanotube/polyaniline(emeraldine base) have been achieved by Electro chemical deposition and mechanical deposition of the polymers onto cellulose paper.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2004.10a
• /
• pp.285-290
• /
• 2004

Electro-active polymer, one of smart materials, is a new alternative technology, which can get an ultra precision movements and bio-compatibilty. This paper presents the relationship between elastic modulus and maximum deflection as a key property of maxwell stress effects and also presents the relationship between dielectric constant and maximum deflection as a key property of electro-striction effects in disc-type actuators using segmented PU. To induce equation about distributed load of a disc, we use boundary condition of fully clamped circular plate and to obtain design parameters of a micro-fluidics system, CFD simulation is performed.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2007.05a
• /
• pp.1254-1258
• /
• 2007

Electro-active polymer (EAP), one of the smart materials, is a new alternative offering ultra-precise movements and bio-compatibility. We present the results of the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a fabricated diaphragm-type polymer actuator using segmented polyurethane(SPU). This paper illustrates the relationship between the elastic modulus and maximum deflection as a key property of the Maxwell stress effect and also presents the relationship between the dielectric constant and maximum deflection as a key property of the electrostriction effect, especially in polymer actuators using SPU. A diaphragm-type actuator was used to induce an equation of the vertically distributed load by using a fully clamped circular plate as the boundary condition. To verify the equation, the results were compared to the data measured from load cell. In the near future, a low-cost check valves and bio-robot can be applied by its actuators.