Spring roll dielectric elastomer actuators for a portable force feedback glove

Abstract

Miniature spring roll dielectric elastomer actuators for a novel kinematic-free force feedback concept were manufactured and experimentally characterized. The actuators exhibited a maximum blocking force of 7.2 <i>N</i> and a displacement of 5 <i>mm</i>. The theoretical considerations based on the material's incompressibility were discussed in order to estimate the actuator behavior under blocked-strain activation and free-strain activation. One prototype was built for the demonstration of the proposed force feedback concept.