基於電致動離子聚合物之人工肌肉驅動器研究

Abstract

藉由應用電致動離子聚合物，有很多新奇的機械裝置的原型已經被開發出來了。例如:仿生機器魚、仿生翅膀、膠囊形態的內視鏡、人工尿導管、雙穩態的自動切換開關。在大部份的應用之中，電致動離子聚合物都是呈現一種彎曲的運動形態。即便是被做成線性的致動器，本質上也仍然是利用串聯的方式達成線性移動。電致動離子聚合物所製成的致動器有一個共通的限制:輸出力很小。研究顯示，增加厚度似乎是一種有效的增加輸出力量的方法。一般電致動離子聚合物薄膜的厚度大約是0.2mm至0.3mm，而且4cm長的樣品的末端輸出力一般都小於10gf。而對於一個同樣長度，但是厚度達2mm的樣品，末端輸出大約是20gf。雖然力量的增加很明顯，但是製作這樣厚度的樣品不僅費時，而且成本高昂。在本研究中將會嘗試一種利用電致動離子聚合物所製成的近似線性的新型致動器。同時也設計了一種節省材料的極厚極窄電致動離子聚合物，並且和一般較薄的電致動離子聚合物做比較。實驗結果顯示，新型的致動器雖然可以運作，但是並沒有如預期般表現出線性致動的效果。不過此種極窄極厚的電致動離子聚合物確實是一種可以利用少量材料來製造出極厚電致動離子聚合物的設計。

Many novel applications of Ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) had been developed, such as biomimetic robotic fish and wing-like actuators, capsule-type endoscope, artificial urethral sphincter, self-switching bistable actuator, etc. For almost applications, the movement type of IPMC is in bending direction. Even though the linear actuators based on IPMC are also composed of the series connection of IPMC strips. Therefore, the linear actuation of IPMC is still bending type actuators in essence. The apparatus of IPMC have the common limitation: the lack of output force. Currently, increasing the thickness of IPMC strips seems to be an effective method to reinforce the bending force. The typical thickness of an IPMC strip is about 0.2 to 0.3 mm, and the tip force is usually less than 10 gf for the length of 4 cm. And the tip force for a 2 mm thickness IPMC strip could be reached about 20 gf. Although the increasing of force is significant, but it is expensive and requires much work and time to fabricate a specimen. In this project, an approximate linear contraction type IPMC actuator is discussed. In this project, a very thick and very narrow IPMC is introduced. And this kind of IPMC is a material saving design. According to the experiment result, the very thick and very narrow IPMC worked. But the motion type of the IPMC did not the linear type as predicted. However, this material saving design is an effective way to make a very thick IPMC by using a small amount material.