Self sensing feedback for dielectric elastomer actuators

Self sensing Dielectric Elastomer Actuator (DEA) artificial muscles will enable the creation of soft, lightweight robots with animal-like capabilities. We demonstrate a fast, accurate, and economic self sensing algorithm that enables an arbitrary voltage oscillation to be used to sense DEA capacitance during actuation in a manner that is robust to significant changes in electrode resistance and leakage current. Not only we can use this algorithm to emulate the proprioceptive feedback found in natural muscle but also we can use it for the online characterisation and analysis of DEA behavior. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.