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IPMCs as EAPs: Applications

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Electromechanically Active Polymers

Part of the book series: Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series ((POPOC))

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Abstract

IPMC actuators have number of advantages for the applications such as low drive voltage (less than 3 V), relatively high response (100 Hz), large displacement, soft material, capability of activation in water or in wet condition, possibility to work in dry condition, durability, and easy to miniaturize. In recent years, a great number of applications based on the IPMCs have been carried out by many workers. In this chapter, IPMC research on biomedical applications, biomimetic robotics, sensor/actuator integration, and energy harvesting is reviewed.

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Acknowledgments

Part of this research was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant numbers CMMI-0745753 and CMMI-0926791 and by the Office of Naval Research under grant number N00014-10-1-0988. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Catherine N. Phan, Mr. Linfeng Shen, Dr. Matteo Verotti, and Dr. Horace Walcott who have contributed to the research efforts summarized in this chapter and Dr. Sean D. Peterson who has been a critically important collaborator in our research on energy harvesting through IPMCs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inorganic Functional Material Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-8-31 Midorigaoka Ikeda, Osaka, 563-8577, Japan

    Kinji Asaka

  2. Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan

    Kentaro Takagi

  3. Department of Robotics and Mechatronics, Tokyo Denki University, 5 Senju-asahi-cho, Adachi-ku, Tokyo, 120-8551, Japan

    Norihiro Kamamichi

  4. Center for Robotics Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea

    Youngsu Cha

  5. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Six MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA

    Maurizio Porfiri

Authors
  1. Kinji Asaka
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  2. Kentaro Takagi
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  3. Norihiro Kamamichi
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  4. Youngsu Cha
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  5. Maurizio Porfiri
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Correspondence to Kinji Asaka .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School Engineering & Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

    Federico Carpi

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Asaka, K., Takagi, K., Kamamichi, N., Cha, Y., Porfiri, M. (2016). IPMCs as EAPs: Applications. In: Carpi, F. (eds) Electromechanically Active Polymers. Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31767-0_9-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31767-0_9-1

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