Electroactive Polymers (EAP) as Actuators for Aerospace Engineering

Abstract

Abstract Most biological systems that are larger than a bacteria use muscles as their actuators. Muscles are capable of lifting large loads with short time response in the range of milliseconds but they are driven by a complex mechanism that is very difficult to mimic. Electroactive polymers (EAP) are human made actuators that most closely emulate biological muscles earning them the moniker “artificial muscles”. Initially, EAP received relatively little attention due to their limited actuation capability. In the last twenty years a series of EAP materials have emerged that respond to electrical stimulation with a significant shape change. Using these materials as actuators, various novel mechanisms and devices were already demonstrated including robot fish, miniature gripper, loudspeaker, active diaphragm, catheter steering element,, and dust‐wiper. The impressive advances in improving their actuation strain capability are attracting the attention of engineers and scientists from many different disciplines. These materials are particularly attractive to biomimetic applications allowing for producing biologically inspired intelligent inventions. Increasingly, engineers are able to develop EAP actuated mechanisms that were previously considered science fiction. This chapter reviews the state of the art, challenges, and potential applications of EAP materials to aerospace engineering.

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Identifiers

DOI

10.1002/9780470686652.eae234

Journal

Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering

Year

2010