Search
Close
  • About Us
    • Governance
    • Our Team
    • Labs
    • Open positions
    • Alumni
  • Research
    • Wearable robotics
      • ReGait++
      • Third Arm
    • Rescue Robotics
      • Flying Robots
      • Legged robots
      • Collaboration, Learning and Tests
    • Educational robotics
      • Cellulo
      • Thymio
    • Publications
    • Open Science
  • Education
    • How to get into robotics
      • How our professors got into robotics
      • How our researchers got started
    • Robotics for kids
      • Activities for Kids
      • R2t2 Mars Mission
    • Graduate Programs in Robotics
    • Resources
  • Tech Transfer
    • Researchers expertise
    • Spin-Offs
    • Swiss Robotics Day
    • Swiss Robotics Ecosystem
    • Resources
  • Equal Opportunities
    • Robotics for Girls
    • Master students
    • Young Researchers
    • Building Equality
    • Women in Robotics
    • Resources
  • Awards & Programs
    • Spin-Fund
    • Master Students Exchange Program
    • PhD/Postdoc exchange program
    • Award for Career Development
    • Swiss Robotics Masters Award
    • Award for Scientific Visibility
    • Women keynote speakers
    • Best Paper Award
    • Ukrainian researchers
  • Outreach
    • Swiss Drone Days
    • Cybathlon
    • Swiss Robotics Days
    • Other Outreach Events
  • Contact
Menu
  • About Us
    • Governance
    • Our Team
    • Labs
    • Open positions
    • Alumni
  • Research
    • Wearable robotics
      • ReGait++
      • Third Arm
    • Rescue Robotics
      • Flying Robots
      • Legged robots
      • Collaboration, Learning and Tests
    • Educational robotics
      • Cellulo
      • Thymio
    • Publications
    • Open Science
  • Education
    • How to get into robotics
      • How our professors got into robotics
      • How our researchers got started
    • Robotics for kids
      • Activities for Kids
      • R2t2 Mars Mission
    • Graduate Programs in Robotics
    • Resources
  • Tech Transfer
    • Researchers expertise
    • Spin-Offs
    • Swiss Robotics Day
    • Swiss Robotics Ecosystem
    • Resources
  • Equal Opportunities
    • Robotics for Girls
    • Master students
    • Young Researchers
    • Building Equality
    • Women in Robotics
    • Resources
  • Awards & Programs
    • Spin-Fund
    • Master Students Exchange Program
    • PhD/Postdoc exchange program
    • Award for Career Development
    • Swiss Robotics Masters Award
    • Award for Scientific Visibility
    • Women keynote speakers
    • Best Paper Award
    • Ukrainian researchers
  • Outreach
    • Swiss Drone Days
    • Cybathlon
    • Swiss Robotics Days
    • Other Outreach Events
  • Contact
Search
Close
  • NCCR Robotics
    • Highlights
    • Governance
    • Our team
    • Labs
    • Past programs
    • Alumni
    • Open positions in robotics
  • Research
    • Wearable Robotics
      • ReGait++
      • Third Arm
    • Rescue Robotics
      • Flying robots
      • Legged robots
      • Collaborations, learning and tests
    • Educational Robotics
      • Cellulo
      • Thymio
    • Publications
    • Open Science
    • Research resources
  • Education
    • How to get into robotics
      • How our professors got into robotics
      • How our researchers got started
    • Robotics for kids
      • Activities for kids
      • R2t2 Mars mission
    • Graduate programs in robotics
    • Resources
  • Tech Transfer
    • Researchers expertise
    • Spin-Offs
    • Swiss Robotics Day
    • Swiss Robotics Ecosystem
    • Resources
  • Equal Opportunities
    • Building equality
    • Women in Robotics
    • Resources
  • Outreach
    • Swiss Robotics Days
    • Swiss Drone Days
    • Cybathlon
    • Photo exhibit
    • Other Outreach Events
Menu
  • NCCR Robotics
    • Highlights
    • Governance
    • Our team
    • Labs
    • Past programs
    • Alumni
    • Open positions in robotics
  • Research
    • Wearable Robotics
      • ReGait++
      • Third Arm
    • Rescue Robotics
      • Flying robots
      • Legged robots
      • Collaborations, learning and tests
    • Educational Robotics
      • Cellulo
      • Thymio
    • Publications
    • Open Science
    • Research resources
  • Education
    • How to get into robotics
      • How our professors got into robotics
      • How our researchers got started
    • Robotics for kids
      • Activities for kids
      • R2t2 Mars mission
    • Graduate programs in robotics
    • Resources
  • Tech Transfer
    • Researchers expertise
    • Spin-Offs
    • Swiss Robotics Day
    • Swiss Robotics Ecosystem
    • Resources
  • Equal Opportunities
    • Building equality
    • Women in Robotics
    • Resources
  • Outreach
    • Swiss Robotics Days
    • Swiss Drone Days
    • Cybathlon
    • Photo exhibit
    • Other Outreach Events

Variable Stiffness Actuator for Soft Robotics Using Dielectric Elastomer and Low-Melting-Point Alloy

Publication date:

Authors:

  • Presented at: International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Hamburg, Germany, September 28 – October 02, 2015
  • Published in: Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on, p. 1097 – 1102
  • IEEE, 2015

A novel variable stiffness actuator composed of a dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) and a low-melting-point-alloy (LMPA) embedded silicone substrate is demonstrated. The device which we call variable stiffness dielectric elastomer actuator (VSDEA) enables functional soft robots with a simplified structure, where the DEA generates a bending actuation and the LMPA provides controllable stiffness between soft and rigid states by Joule heating. The entire structure of VSDEA is made of soft silicones with an elastic modulus of less than 1 MPa providing a high compliance when the LMPA is active. The device has the dimension of 40 mm length × 10 mm width × 1 mm thickness, with mass of  1 g. We characterize VSDEA in terms of the actuation stroke angle, the blocked force, and the reaction force against a forced displacement. The results show the controllable actuation angle and the blocked force up to 23.7 ° and 2.4 mN in the soft state, and 0.6 ° and 2.1 mN in the rigid state. Compared to an actuator without the LMPA, VSDEA exhibits  90× higher rigidity. We develop a VSDEA gripper where the mass of active parts is  2 g, which is able to successfully hold an object mass of 11 g, exhibiting the high performance of the actuator.

    Reference

    • Detailed record: https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/210234?ln=en
    • EPFL-CONF-210234
    • doi:10.1109/IROS.2015.7353507
    Reference
    Read the paper
    • Innovation Booster Robotics
    • News
    • Past Events
    • Contact
    • Innovation Booster Robotics
    • News
    • Past Events
    • Contact
    • Journalists and media
    • News bulletin archive
    • Newsletter archive
    • Journalists and media
    • News bulletin archive
    • Newsletter archive
    Twitter Linkedin Youtube
    NCCR Robotics partner institutions

    Leading house

    epfl_white

    Co-Leading house

    eth_white
    unizuerich_white
    idsia_white
    unibe_all_white
    empa-all-white
    unibasel_white

    This website was built by NCCR Robotics and provides useful information on Swiss Robotics. From December 2022, it is no longer updated.

    Copyright © 2022 NCCR Robotics. All rights reserved.