On the Driving Circuits of Electro-Sensitive Elastomers

Abstract

In the last decade, Electro-Sensitive Elastomers (ESE) with significant electro-mechanical response have been discovered. These polymers are the candidate materials for the construction of solid-state actuators and sensors. To date, devices made by ESE show performances rather below expectations. This paper addresses the dynamic performance of ESE. Experimental and simulation results are presented which show that the response of ESE can be enhanced if they are activated by proper energy sources and strategies. In particular, better results are achieved by overdriving the ESE by a capacitor charging pulsed power source.