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Biomimetic underwater robots based on dielectric elastomer actuators | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore

Biomimetic underwater robots based on dielectric elastomer actuators


Abstract:

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), a soft actuator technology, hold great promise for biomimetic underwater robots. The high-voltages required to drive DEAs can howev...Show More

Abstract:

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), a soft actuator technology, hold great promise for biomimetic underwater robots. The high-voltages required to drive DEAs can however make them challenging to use in water. This paper demonstrates a method to create DEA-based biomimetic swimming robots that operate reliably even in conductive liquids. We ensure the insulation of the high-voltage DEA electrodes without degrading actuation performance by laminating silicone layers. A fish and a jellyfish were fabricated and tested in water. The fish robot has a length of 120 mm and a mass of 3.8 g. The jellyfish robot has a 61 mm diameter for a mass of 2.6 g. The measured swimming speeds for a periodic 3 kV drive voltage were ∼8 mm/s for the fish robot, and ∼1.5 mm/s for the jellyfish robot.
Date of Conference: 09-14 October 2016
Date Added to IEEE Xplore: 01 December 2016
ISBN Information:
Electronic ISSN: 2153-0866
Conference Location: Daejeon, Korea (South)

References

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