Solid-state soft actuator exhibiting large electromechanical effect

This letter deals with the discovery of large low-voltage electromechanical actuation effects in an electroactive polymer made with poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ethylene glycol). The experimental observations and robust performance of the solid-state polymer actuators in the form of a strip, which is suitably surface electroded and cation doped, are reported herein. Recent laboratory discovery shows that such solid-state actuators are polymeric materials capable of exhibiting large motion actuation capabilities (>1% bending strain) in a low electric field imposed across the strip (<10 V/mm) with considerable stress (>10 MPa) and fast responses (>10 Hz). Moreover, a stable operation over ten millions of cycles in air is achieved with nearly no performance degradation. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.