1. |
- Aziz, Shazed, et al.
(author)
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Fast and High-Strain Electrochemically Driven Yarn Actuators in Twisted and Coiled Configurations
- 2021
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In: Advanced Functional Materials. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1616-301X .- 1616-3028. ; 31:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Commercially available yarns are promising precursor for artificial muscles for smart fabric-based textile wearables. Electrochemically driven conductive polymer (CP) coated yarns have already shown their potential to be used in smart fabrics. Unfortunately, the practical application of these yarns is still hindered due to their slow ion exchange properties and low strain. Here, a method is demonstrated to morph poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-styrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) coated multifilament textile yarns in highly twisted and coiled structures, providing >1% linear actuation in <1 s at a potential of +0.6 V. A potential window of +0.6 V and -1.2 V triggers the fully reversible actuation of a coiled yarn providing >1.62% strain. Compared to the untwisted, regular yarns, the twisted and coiled yarns produce >9x and >20x higher strain, respectively. The strain and speed are significantly higher than the maximum reported results from other electrochemically operated CP yarns. The yarn’s actuation is explained by reversible oxidation/reduction reactions occurring at CPs. However, the helical opening/closing of the twisted or coiled yarns due to the torsional yarn untwisting/retwisting assists the rapid and large linear actuation. These PEDOT:PSS coated yarn actuators are of great interest to drive smart textile exoskeletons.
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2. |
- Aziz, Shazed, 1985-, et al.
(author)
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PEDOT:PSS coated twisted and coiled yarn actuators
- 2021
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In: EuroEAP 2021.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Commercial yarns can be functionalized with conducting polymers (CPs) todevelop yarn and textile actuators. Here we show a method of functionalizationof commercial polyamide yarns by poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) coating. Aftercoating, while PEDOT:PSS is drying, it is possible to twist and coil the yarns,resulting in a major improvement of their linear strain and speed of movement.By using a potential window between +0.6 V and -1.2 V vs Ag/AgCl it waspossible to obtain a fully reversible actuation of a coiled yarn providing up to1.62% strain. A strain higher than 1% was achieved in less than 1 second.Compared to the untwisted, regular yarns, the twisted and coiled yarns produce>9× and >20× higher strain, respectively. These results are a step forward towardsthe development of soft, silent and compliant smart textile exoskeletons.
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3. |
- Aziz, Shazed, et al.
(author)
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Plant-Like Tropisms in Artificial Muscles
- 2023
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In: Advanced Materials. - : WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH. - 0935-9648 .- 1521-4095.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Helical plants have the ability of tropisms to respond to natural stimuli, and biomimicry of such helical shapes into artificial muscles has been vastly popular. However, the shape-mimicked actuators only respond to artificially provided stimulus, they are not adaptive to variable natural conditions, thus being unsuitable for real-life applications where on-demand, autonomous operations are required. Novel artificial muscles made of hierarchically patterned helically wound yarns that are self-adaptive to environmental humidity and temperature changes are demonstrated here. Unlike shape-mimicked artificial muscles, a unique microstructural biomimicking approach is adopted, where the muscle yarns can effectively replicate the hydrotropism and thermotropism of helical plants to their microfibril level using plant-like microstructural memories. Large strokes, with rapid movement, are obtained when the individual microfilament of yarn is inlaid with hydrogel and further twisted into a coil-shaped hierarchical structure. The developed artificial muscle provides an average actuation speed of approximate to 5.2% s(-1) at expansion and approximate to 3.1% s(-1) at contraction cycles, being the fastest amongst previously demonstrated actuators of similar type. It is demonstrated that these muscle yarns can autonomously close a window in wet climates. The building block yarns are washable without any material degradation, making them suitable for smart, reusable textile and soft robotic devices.
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4. |
- Spinks, Geoffrey M., et al.
(author)
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Using force-displacement relations to obtain actuation parameters from artificial muscles
- 2019
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In: Sensors and Actuators A-Physical. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0924-4247 .- 1873-3069. ; 290, s. 90-96
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many different test methods are currently used to characterise the output of artificial muscle materials but few studies report the full range of possible force and displacements that can be generated by a given material when activated with a given input stimulus but when operated against different external loads. The measurement of the loading and unloading force extension curves in tension in both the un-activated and activated states is investigated as a means for efficiently characterising the full range of outputs for three different types of artificial muscles: pneumatically operated braided muscle and thermally operated shape memory alloy spring and twisted / coiled polymer fiber. A graphical method of analysis was applied whereby the force-extension curves obtained before and after actuator activation were plotted on the same axes. By overlaying the external loading conditions, the graphical method provided the equilibrium starting and finishing forces and displacements and successfully predicted the isotonic strokes, isometric forces and combined force and displacement generated when the actuator was operated against an external spring. Complications in the interpretation of the force-stroke curves were encountered as all three artificial muscles displayed a degree of loading-unloading hysteresis and non-ideal mechanical behavior. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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