Journal article
The application of conducting polymers to a biorobotic fin propulsor
Bioinspiration & biomimetics, v 2(2), pp S6-S17
01 Jun 2007
PMID: 17671330
Abstract
Conducting polymer actuators based on polypyrrole are being developed for use in biorobotic fins that are designed to create and control forces like the pectoral fin of the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). It is envisioned that trilayer bending actuators will be used within, and as, the fin's webbing to create a highly controllable, shape morphing, flexible fin surface, and that linear conducting polymer actuators will be used to actuate the bases of the fin's fin-rays, like an agonist-antagonist muscle pair, and control the fin's stiffness. For this application, trilayer bending actuators were used successfully to reproduce the cupping motion of the sunfish pectoral fin by controlling the curvature of the fin's surface and the motion of its dorsal and ventral edges. However, the speed of these large polymer films was slow, and must be increased if the fin's shape is to be modulated synchronously with the fin's flapping motion. Free standing linear conducting polymer films can generate large stresses and strains, but there are many engineering obstacles that must be resolved in order to create linear polymer actuators that generate simultaneously the forces, displacements and actuation rates required by the fin. We present two approaches that are being used to solve the engineering challenges involved in utilizing conducting polymer linear actuators: the manufacture of long, uniform ribbons of polymer and gold film, and the parallel actuation of multiple conducting polymer films.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- The application of conducting polymers to a biorobotic fin propulsor
- Creators
- James Tangorra - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPatrick Anquetil - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyTimothy Fofonoff - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyAngela Chen - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMike Del Zio - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyIan Hunter - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Publication Details
- Bioinspiration & biomimetics, v 2(2), pp S6-S17
- Publisher
- Iop Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- N00014-03-1-0897 / ONR-MURI; MURI; Office of Naval Research
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000207170200003
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-34250223438
- Other Identifier
- 991021966870804721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Engineering, Multidisciplinary
- Materials Science, Biomaterials
- Robotics