Tactile actuator with electroactive polymer

Abstract: A new actuation principle with electrodes around the deformation region for a DEAP membrane used as a driving component of a tactile actuator is developed. Compared to DEAP actuation with electrodes covering the deformation region, the stiffening effect induced by the electrodes is drastically reduced. The modeling, detailed manufacturing and characterization of the proposed actuators are presented. This work aims to verify the concept and understand the working behavior of the proposed actuator.
The proposed concept is a DEAP membrane with the electrode structured around the deformable membrane on the rigid substrate, named “Ring-shaped Electrode DEAP actuator” in this work. The proposed DEAP actuator is also integrated with a micro hydraulic displacement amplifier to amplify the generated deflection on the membrane for getting a large deflection. Furthermore, a cooperative electrode DEAP actuator is also proposed based on the understanding of the ring-shaped electrode DEAP actuator. The electrodes are rearranged in the form of discrete cooperative array elements to realize more complex actuation shapes by employing multistage cooperation of these discrete actuation elements.
The experimental results show a good actuation behavior, consistent with the built analytical model and the FEM simulation results. The deflection of DEAP actuators increases slightly with applied voltage at low voltage first until a threshold voltage. Beyond the threshold, the deflection increases linearly with increasing applied voltage, showing no significant stiffening effect on the deflection of the membrane. The membrane size and applied voltage determine the deflection amplitude of the ring-shaped electrode DEAP actuator and the actuator system integrated with a micro hydraulic displacement amplifier. The membrane deflection behavior is affected by the membrane thickness, whereas the physical electrode width and membrane shape have no obvious influence on the deflection behavior. Instead of physical electrode width, effective electrode width contributing to buckling deflection of DEAP membrane is introduced into the analytical model. Furthermore, a factor is introduced into the analytical model to consider influences, such as deflection profile, on the deflection behavior of the DEAP membrane. The deflection of actuator system reaches a deflection of about 125 µm with an actuation force of about 1.3 mN at 4200 V, wherein the actuator system can have a dynamic driving frequency of up to 1200 Hz. With a special design, a cooperative electrode DEAP actuator, it is possible to create patterns with adjustable bumps‘ size, height and distance between bumps by adjusting the cooperative working of the activated electrode array elements and the applied voltage. Thus, moving patterns can be created by cooperative electrodes DEAP, which provides feasibility to create more diversified tactile patterns and might be used as the driving part of a peristaltic pump

Angaben zum Objekt

• Standort: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Umfang: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: Englisch
• Anmerkungen: Universität Freiburg, Dissertation, 2023

Klassifikation und Themen

• Schlagwort: Aktor ; Piezoelektrischer Aktor ; Intelligenter Werkstoff ; MEMS ; Mikroaktor ; Sensor ; Dielektrischer Elastomer-Aktor

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wo): Freiburg
• (wer): Universität
• (wann): 2023
• Urheber: Zhu, Rui
• Beteiligte Personen und Organisationen: Mescheder, Ulrich ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Fakultät für Angewandte Wissenschaften

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: 10.6094/UNIFR/242505
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2425056
• Rechteinformation: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 15.08.2025, 07:31 MESZ