Nanocarbon polymer actuator

Abstract

Metal motors have been used as a power source (energy transducer) for home-electronics and other electrical devices. Recently, home electronics and medical examination apparatus have a need for their miniaturization, high-functionalization, and low-energy consumption. From these points of view, polymer actuators have attracted much attention as a new type of actuator (energy transducer) in place of conventional metal motors because the polymer actuators are soft and lightweight, and furthermore, they can demonstrate flexible and silent motion similar to human muscles. In this paper, we introduce our recent research progress on nanocarbon polymer actuators consisting of carbon nanotubes, ionic liquids, and a base polymer. The nanocarbon polymer actuators show stable actuation in air. We also introduce recent application challenges for polymer actuators.