Aquatic Robotic Propulsor Using Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Artificial Muscle

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

9-28-2004

Publication Title

2004 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)

Publisher

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Volume

2

First page number:

1269

Last page number:

1274

Abstract

In this investigation, ionic polymer metal composites (IPMC) are considered for use as a means of aquatic propulsion. A simple propulsor is constructed to show capabilities of using an IPMC actuator. The thrust produced by the propulsor was recorded and reported showing suitable thrust for small applications. IPMC were then compared with competing electro-active polymers in a theoretical propulsor study showing that IPMC are quite competitive with similar actuator materials. An equivalent circuit to model the force behavior of an IPMC can be used to explain force behavior for various geometric configurations of IPMC leading the way for design and use of IPMC aquatic propulsors.

Keywords

Actuators; Composite materials; Intelligent actuators; Marine systems; Metal-filled plastics; Mobile robots; Polymers propulsion; Remote submersibles; Underwater propulsion

Disciplines

Engineering | Materials Science and Engineering | Mechanical Engineering | Robotics

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.

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