actuation tagged posts

Transforming Flat Elastomers into 3D Shapes

An initially flat thin circular sheet of elastomer with embedded electrodes morphs into a saddle shape.
Credit: Image courtesy of the Clarke Lab/Harvard SEAS

Researchers have developed a method to change the shape of a flat sheet of elastomer, using actuation that is fast, reversible, controllable by an applied voltage, and reconfigurable to different shapes.

Mechanical systems, such as engines and motors, rely on 2 principal types of motions of stiff components: linear motion, which involves an object moving from one point to another in a straight line; and rotational motion, which involves an object rotating on an axis. Nature has developed far more sophisticated forms of movement – or actuation – that can perform complex functions more directly and with soft components...

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