Project Details
Projekt
Intelligent Polymer Materials as Actuators and Sensors for Soft Robotics Applications (IntPoly)
Subject Area
Polymer Materials
Mechanics
Mechanics
Term
since 2022
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 498339709
The project “Intelligent Polymer Materials as Actuators and Sensors for Soft Robotics Applications”, IntPoly, is a new soft materials science project which shall be implemented into current activities of the SPP 2100 on “Soft Material Robotics”. IntPoly is based on the coupled interdisciplinary expertise of Prof. Sabine Ludwigs (polymer chemistry, materials science) and Prof. Holger Steeb (rheology, material modelling) and aims at novel intelligent polymer bilayer and 3D printed architectures which can adapt their mechanical properties to external fields and which shall be used as strain sensors on the one hand and as actuators and for actuated stiffening of soft robotics devices on the other hand. Conducting polymers (CPs) such as poly(ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) have been identified as intelligent materials which actively adapt and respond to electric fields. Highly stretchable materials shall be prepared as compliant materials for soft robotics which involves the combination of CPs either with hydrogels or as blends with elastomers such as Ecoflex and Dragonskin. The project is structured in 3 workpackages: In WP1 a systematic characterization of the complex interplay between temperature, humidity, electrical conductivity and rheological properties of bulk and bilayer films shall be performed. For the use as actuators and actuated stiffening (variable stiffness) the concept of Joule heating will be applied, i.e. local heating leads to curvature changes in bilayers and increased Young’s moduli of the intelligent materials. For strain sensors the resistance shall be measured as function of strain for large strain materials. WP2 applies 3D printing technology to create complex architectures which should result in more complex shape changes and functionally-graded samples allowing to create tuned intelligent structures. Continuum based finite deformation models shall be developed which allow for Finite Element (FE) simulations. The numerical simulations shall support the prediction of shape changes and allow for the investigation of the internal stress states of “complex” actuator geometries consisting of samples with heterogeneously distributed material properties.A very strong collaboration with the SPP2100 demonstrator projects TENDON and SMART is planned in WP3. On the one hand, strain sensors shall be coupled with soft elastomer robotics systems and optimized for shape, position and orientation detection. On the other hand, electric field induced stiffening (“stiffening on demand”) of the intelligent layers and architectures shall be connected with existing soft elastomer robotics.The project will add to current challenges of the field including material choice, design and engineering of novel soft materials with corresponding fabrication processes (e.g. 3D printing) for soft and stretchable actuators and sensors, and their appropriate placement in demonstrators.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
Subproject of
SPP 2100:
Soft Material Robotic Systems
