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SUMMARY:Making Smarter Artificial Muscles - Stoyan Smoukov (University of 
 Cambridge)
DTSTART:20150219T131000Z
DTEND:20150219T140000Z
UID:TALK58136@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Evros Loukaides
DESCRIPTION:Dielectric elastomers and ionic polymer actuators are the most
  common classes of soft artificial muscles. We improve critical aspects of
  both by making the first more reliable\, and the second smarter.\n\nDiele
 ctric elastomers operate at high voltages\, produces impressive strains an
 d has been used in applications from energy harvesting to transparent loud
 speakers. Though they achieves high efficiency both on the material and sy
 stem levels\, this performance comes at the price of a short\, unreliable 
 life. We show how one can overcome the false dichotomy of trading efficien
 cy for reliability.\n\nIonic actuators have already been shown to display 
 life-like movement using very low voltages (1-2V). These materials have th
 e potential for driving implantable devices. In an effort to make their be
 haviour even smarter\, we endow them with memory for the first time\, crea
 ting artificial muscles with muscle memory. The ionic actuation response c
 an be tuned or completely switched off by a mechanical programming\, in a 
 reversible fashion\, without the use of electronics. The new materials can
  have their movement programmed in several states\, report their environme
 ntal history and recall previous actuator states.\n\n1. Kobayashi\, Smouko
 v\, Int. J. Smart & Nano Mater. (2014) DOI: 10.1080/19475411.2014.987190\n
 \n2. Khaldi\, Elliott\, Smoukov\, J. MATER. CHEM. C.\, 2\, 8029 (2014)\n
LOCATION:1 Newnham Terrace\, Darwin College
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