Abstract
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Biologically inspired robotic applications have
recently received significant attention due to developments in
novel materials and actuators with an operation principle
similar to the natural muscles’. Electroactive polymer (EAP)
actuators, also known as artificial muscles, possess
extraordinary properties such as low efficiency consumption,
compliance, bio-compatibility and ability to be miniaturized.
Although several methodologies have been proposed for
modeling and identification of their quasi-static bending
behavior, a negligibly small attention has been given to their
dynamic behavior. In this paper, we, therefore, report on their
electromechanical modeling and parameter identification. We
model the tri-layer EAP actuators as a soft robotic actuator
consisting of a significant number of rigid links connected with
compliant revolute joints. The experimental and numerical
results presented suggest that the soft robotics approach is an
effective way to model the EAP actuator and subsequently
identify its dynamic parameters accurately. We have previously
employed the same soft robotic approach to estimate the whole
shape of the EAP actuator as a function of time.