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New Ferroelectric Material could give Robots Muscles

Actuation of ferroelectric polymers driven by Joule heating
Actuation of ferroelectric polymers driven by Joule heating.  Credit: Qing Wang. All Rights Reserved.

A new type of ferroelectric polymer that is exceptionally good at converting electrical energy into mechanical strain holds promise as a high-performance motion controller or “actuator” with great potential for applications in medical devices, advanced robotics, and precision positioning systems, according to a team of international researchers led by Penn State.

Mechanical strain, how a material changes shape when force is applied, is an important property for an actuator, which is any material that will change or deform when an external force such as electrical energy is applied...

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