Dielectric Elastomer Electronics for Soft Robotics

Luca Ciarella

AutorIn

Luca Ciarella

Titel

Dielectric Elastomer Electronics for Soft Robotics

Zitierfähige Url:

https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa2-943269

Erstveröffentlichung

2024

Datum der Einreichung

15.01.2024

Datum der Verteidigung

18.06.2024

Abstract (EN)

Robots are machines, often resembling living creatures or parts of them, capable of autonomously performing complex tasks. They are becoming increasingly widespread because of their many possible applications. Soft robotics is the branch of robotics that studies devices made with soft and compliant materials. The aim is to more efficiently execute all those tasks that are hard to carry out with traditional robots: manipulation of delicate objects, exploration in harsh terrains, and interaction with humans in close contact are just some examples. While many soft actuators have been presented in the literature, they are usually integrated into a non-soft structure composed of sensors, electrical circuits, and other bulky parts such as pumps, motors, and valves. This work investigates the possibility of achieving entirely soft robots independent of external stiff and bulky components. Electroactive polymers (EAPs) are a good prospect in soft robotics because of their properties. They are a class of lightweight and soft materials that change shape or size when stimulated by an electric field. Thus, they do not need motors or pumps to generate movement. This contribution focuses on dielectric elastomers (DEs), a sub-class of EAPs. Due to their fast response time, low static energy consumption, and low elastic modulus, dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are sometimes referred to as 'artificial muscles' and are used as such in soft robotic structures. Soft sensors, generators, and circuits can be produced with the same technology. Therefore, all the main, required components of robots can be built with the same soft materials, which makes DEs a potential candidate for realizing entirely soft autonomous robots. In particular, this work investigates the use of DEs for making electronic circuits and their integration into multi-functional structures. The focus is on the dielectric elastomer transistor (DET), defined as the standard cell to realize DE circuitry. A consistent method to design circuits with DEs is demonstrated in this thesis, stemming from the parallelism between DETs and conventional transistors. Furthermore, autonomous robotic devices comprising DE circuits are built and tested. DE circuits can control the movement of DEAs and can be equipped with DE sensors that allow the structure to respond to external stimuli. DEs perform actuation, sensing, and signal processing functions inside these smart structures. Thus, they are largely independent of external components. An example is given by the Venus flytrap robot that automatically catches objects, realized during this study. The final goal of the work is to illustrate the potentiality of autonomous control, through DE electronics, of entirely soft robots based on DEs.

Freie Schlagwörter (EN)

Soft robotics, smart materials, electroactive polymers

Klassifikation (DDC)

621

Klassifikation (RVK)

ZN 3499

GutachterIn