Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) are promising materials that can be used as artificial muscles in soft robotics. These materials can be 3D printed to obtain curved shapes, which can be utilized for obtaining previously impossible deformation patterns. To be able to design these shapes properly, we need a predictive model that is able to describe the deformations of these curved materials.
In a new paper recently published in Smart Materials and Structures, our Research Assistant Professor Peng Zhang and Professor Maurizio Porfiri developed a model that can accurately describe the mechanics and electrochemistry of curved IPMCs, enabling unprecedented designs with 3D printing.
Read the full article “Modeling the actuation of curved ionic polymer metal composites” here.
Image credit: Peng Zhang and Maurizio Porfiri.