Electrostrictive Polymer Actuators and Their Control Systems

초록

Electrostrictive polymers such as silicone, acrylic, and polyurethane can achieve large strain and stress with high electric field. Applying high electric field to the compliant electrodes that is installed in both sides of an electrostrictive polymer film, this electrostrictive polymer film is compressed in the direction of area because of its impossible characteristic. Through this process, it is possible to actuate micro robot systems. It is hard to actuate micro robot systems with existing actuators such as electric motors because these actuators are very difficult to retain similar performance in micro sizes as that in micro sizes. In order to use these electrostrictive polymers in micro robot systems, an appropriate actuator should be developed. In this paper, actuators systems, which are consisting of actuators based on electrostrictive polymers and their driver circuits, are designed and implemented. Major characteristics about these actuator systems is measured and compared. Several sensing techniques to control these actuator systems are proposed and the performance of these actuator systems under some control techniques is measured. Based on measured quantities, it will be discussed how to use electrostrictive polymer actuators in designing some micro robot systems.