Dynamics of gel robots made of electro-active polymer gel

Abstract

This paper proposes a model for predicting the dynamic motions of elastic robots made entirely of electro-active polymer gel. The requirement is that both the active and passive deformations be described simultaneously. Active deformations arise from a generated stress, while passive deformations are due to external forces, such as gravity and friction. We represent both in the same framework, considering them as the result of either electrochemical or mechanical interaction between the gel robot and the environment. We evaluated the model by comparing the results obtained through simulations and experiments using prototype gel robots. One experiment involved hitting an external object, and the other involved bending while resting upon a surface. We present an overview of the model, with a discussion of the experimental results and future work.