Electroactive polymers as artificial muscles: A review

Electroactive polymers (EAP) are an emerging class of functional materials that respond to electrical stimulation with large displacement. This attractive characteristic earned them the name artificial muscles. Even though the actuation force and robustness of existing EAP materials require further improvement, there has already been a series of reported successes. The successful applications that were demonstrated include catheter steering element, miniature manipulator, dust wiper, miniature robotic arm, and grippers. Some of the currently considered applications may be difficult to accomplish, and it is important to examine the requirements to the level that current materials can address. Using EAP to replace existing actuators may be a difficult challenge, and therefore it is highly desirable to identify a niche application where it would not need to compete with existing capabilities. The field involves multidisciplines that include materials, chemistry, electromechanics, computers, electronics, etc. A review of the state of the art and some of the challenges to the application of these materials are provided.