Investigation of the influence of fiber reinforcement onto electro-active strain and force in uniaxial DEAs

Abstract:
Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are electro-active polymers that show high potential for soft robotic applications. This study focuses on the influence of fiber reinforcement onto the electro-active force. By fabricating actuators with various aspect ratios, width-dependent effects are investigated. Results indicate that fiber-reinforced DEAs exhibit higher initial active forces, with aspect ratios influencing force profiles. Comparisons with isotropic DEAs show increased forces for fiber-reinforced DEAs.