Authors:
Elise T. Burriss
;
Gursel Alici
;
Geoffrey M. Spinks
and
Scott McGovern
Affiliation:
University of Wollongong, Australia
Keyword(s):
Electroactive polymer actuators, Linear actuation, Kinematic design.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics
;
Intelligent Control Systems and Optimization
;
Mechatronic Systems
;
Robot Design, Development and Control
;
Robotics and Automation
Abstract:
The objects of this study are (i) to establish a linear actuation system based on the bending movement of conducting polymer actuators, which operate in air, and (ii) to develop a model to predict the linear displacement and force output of the actuation system, and employ the model to characterise the optimum values of the system design parameters. The linear actuation system is based on a five bar parallel mechanism with equal link lengths and a zero-length ground link, which is articulated through two bending type polymer actuators. Kinematic and force analyses of the mechanism including numerical results are presented, and its payload handling ability was experimentally evaluated. Experimental results presented demonstrate that the linear actuation system can generate linear movement accurately and a rectilinear force as a result of two bending type polymer actuators. This mechanism is offered as a lightweight, low power consuming motion and force transmission system.