This project aims to develop a new, bistable electroactive polymer that combines large actuation strain and energy density with variable stiffness and bistable deformation. The technical approach of the project involves: (1) synthesizing new polymers comprising interpenetrating polymers network to achieve stable, high-strain actuation; (2) investigating ultrathin carbon nanotube coatings for fault tolerance and enhanced operation reliability; (3) reducing the driving voltages of electroactive polymers to around 200 V by synthesizing new polymers with high dielectric permittivity as well as by developing processing techniques to produce high-quality polymer thin films; and (4) fabricating compact modular actuators that can be readily integrated into robotic systems. The potential transformative technical impact of this project is a radically new actuator material that can reproduce the structural, actuation, and sensing functions of muscles, and can be inserted into a broad range of robotic systems for locomotion and manipulation.
This project will develop a new actuator material based on a bistable electroactive polymer that behaves like an artificial muscle, and offers a combination of attributes that future robotic systems demand including power output that outperforms human skeletal muscle, flexibility, quietness, and biocompatibility. Actuators based on the new polymer material enable the design of robotic systems that interact with people, such as assistive prosthesis or assistive devices for people with disability, humanoid robots for elderly in-home care, and surgical robots to save lives. The material can also be used for industrial automation for increased production efficiency. This project includes significant outreach and educational activities. It will provide summer research intern opportunities for under-represented minority high school students each year. Undergraduate and graduate students will participate in the proposed research to gain hands-on research experience, as well as analytical, communication, and inter-personal skills.
