Self-sensing ionic polymer-metal composite actuating device with patterned surface electrodes

• Published in: Polymer international 2010-03, Vol.59 (3), p.300-304
• Main Authors: Kruusamäe, Karl, Brunetto, Paola, Graziani, Salvatore, Punning, Andres, Di Pasquale, Giovanna, Aabloo, Alvo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: actuator; Actuators; Devices; Electric fields; electroactive polymer; Electroactive polymers; Electrodes; IPMC; Patterning; self-sensing; Sensors; Strip; surface patterning; surface resistance
• ISSN: 0959-8103; 1097-0126; 1097-0126
• DOI: 10.1002/pi.2752

Electroactive polymers are materials that change their properties (e.g. size and shape) while stimulated by an electric field/current. Conversely, they produce an electrical signal if bent. As both actuators and sensors, they are considered attractive for various applications, e.g. in biomedicine and robotics. Self‐sensing actuators made of these materials are still a topic of great interest among researchers. This paper proposes a new self‐sensing ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) actuating device. By specially patterning the opposite metal electrodes of an IPMC strip, an actuator and a sensor are formed on a single piece of the material. Self‐sensitivity is attained by measuring the changing resistance of the sensor part of the structure. This paper introduces the methods for patterning the surface of an IPMC strip and measuring the resistance change during the actuator work cycle, and gives experimental evidence of the suitability of the proposed method for the realization of a smart motion actuator. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry The paper proposes a self‐sensing ionic polymer–metal composite actuator. Self‐sensitivity is achieved by separating the sensor and actuator parts by patterning of the surface electrodes.