• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.272-281
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• 2012

Flexible/stretchable electronics have recently focused, since their applications extend to emerging flexible displays, sensors, dielectric elastomer actuator and generators, and smart surgical tools. Flexible/stretchable electrodes should be synchronized with employing mechanical deformations of either flexing or stretching modes. Thus, the research area is one of the tough subjects, since the electrodes should keep their basic functions of electrodes under various mode of mechanical deformations. In this review, we discuss the recent development in the preparation and properties of such flexible/stretchable electrodes.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.89-101
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• 2006

Tactile sensation is one of the most important sensory functions for human perception of objects. Recently, there have been many technical challenges in the field of tactile display as well as tactile sensing. In this paper, we propose an innovative tactile display device based on soft actuator technology with ElectroActive Polymer(EAP). This device offers advantageous features over existing devices with respect to intrinsic flexibility, softness, ease of fabrication and miniaturization, high power density, and cost effectiveness. In particular, it can be adapted to various geometric configurations because it possesses structural flexibility, so it can be worn on any part of the human body such as finger, palm, and arm etc. It can be extensively applied as a wearable tactile display, a Braille device for the visually disabled, and a human interface in the future. A new design of the flexible actuator is proposed and its basic operational principles are discussed. In addition, a wearable tactile display device with $4{\times}5$ actuator array(20 actuator cells) is developed and its effectiveness is confirmed.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.67 no.6
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• pp.799-803
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• 2018

We demonstrated memory thin-film transistors (MTFTs) with organic ferroelectric polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) and an amorphous oxide semiconducting indium gallium zinc oxide channel on the elastomeric substrate. The dielectric constant for the P(VDF-TrFE) thin film prepared on the elastomeric substrate was calculated to be 10 at a high frequency of 1 MHz. The voltage-dependent capacitance variations showed typical butterfly-shaped hysteresis behaviors owing to the polarization reversal in the film. The carrier mobility and memory on/off ratio of the MTFTs showed $15cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ and $10^6$, respectively. This result indicates that the P(VDF-TrFE) film prepared on the elastomeric substrate exhibits ferroelectric natures. The fabricated MTFTs exhibited sufficiently encouraging device characteristics even on the elastomeric substrate to realize mechanically stretchable nonvolatile memory devices.

• Composites Research
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.211-215
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• 2019

The cell culture process under in vitro condition is much different from the actual human body environment. Therefore, in order to precisely simulate the human body environment, a dynamic cell culture device capable of delivering mechanical stimulation to cells is essential. However, conventional dynamic cell culture devices require relatively complicated devices such as tubes, pumps, and motors, and the mechanical stimuli delivered is also simple. In this study, an electro-active polymer actuator as a driving component is introduced to design simply driven dynamic cell culture device without complicated components. The device is capable of delivering relatively complex mechanical stimuli to the cells.

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