Continuing the Investigation of the Sensing Response of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites: Effects of Geometry and Orientation
Abstract
The soft electroactive polymer material, ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC), has been used in several applications of soft-robotics for both its sensing and actuating capabilities. When used as a sensor, IPMCs are typically positioned in a rectangular cantilever orientation, where the produced voltage response is indicative of the displacement occurring as the IPMC is bent by an induced force. Upon changing the orientation of the IPMC sensor, alternative reproducible voltage responses occur depending upon which surface the induced force is acting upon. Herein, the effects of orientation in relation to the characteristic response of IPMCs are examined. Experiments were conducted within both an in-lab developed 85-gal drag tank with the IPMC sensor mounted to an inverted linear slide system, as well as within a Brett-type flume. The flow conditions surrounding the IPMC sensor were approximated to be at a Reynolds number range of 200 to 7000. For the three orientations tested, identified as normal, tangent, and longitudinal, distinct response shapes were readily observed. The effects of geometry are also studied, with emphasis on rectangular and cylindrical IPMCs. The results of this study can be used to optimize the designs of soft-robot devices that use IPMCs as a sensing component. Quantifying the characteristic response at varying orientations and geometries is significant to the development of an IPMC flow sensor measuring a surrounding flow field.
Presentation was awarded 2nd Place Best Student Presenation at SPIE 2021 Smart Materials and Structures Conference.
Nazanin Minaian
Ph.D. Candidate | Graduate Research Assistant
My research interests include electroactive polymers, flow sensing, energy harvesting, and computer vision.