|
|
|
|
|
02/12/2008
 Email to a friend
 Comment on this article
|
Danish scientist Peter Sommer-Larsen has just been honoured for his researches into artificial muscles made of elastomers.
Head of programme at the National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy at the Technical University of Denmark, he is the first to receive the Elastyren prize from the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences.
Two main types have been studied: conducting polymers which can be made to electrolytically interract with ions in a solution, changing their volume, and dielectric elastomers, which are compressed by electrostatic attraction when high voltage is applied between electrodes on the two sides, as used in the actuators described in our September 2008 feature article: "Octopus-style actuators have grasp on future thinking".
Both concepts still seem to be in the solutions looking for problems to solve category, but the dielectric actuators look the more promising, with efficiencies of up to 60 per cent. In 2001, the team reported that an 8 cm long actuator weighing 2g was able to lift 400g in seconds, and a 5cm long actuator with "Smart compliant electrodes" was able to lift 50g up and down over 3mm at 15Hz, and was cycled 100,000 times.
|
|
| |
Author
Tom Shelley
|
| |
| |
|
| |
This material is protected by Findlay Media copyright 2012.
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.
|
| |
|
|
| |
To comment on news stories or blogs you need to complete our 60 second registration
process. Once completed this then allows you to download any and all white papers,
register for e-zines and access our detailed supplier directory for FREE.
If you are all ready a registered user then enter your e-mail address and login.
You will need to have logged in prior to entering your comments in the boxes provided.
|