Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics.

Received August 12, 2015;

Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

MiniaturizedTerrestrialWalkingRobot
usingPVDF/PVP/PSSAbasedIonic
PolymerMetalCompositeActuator

d
ite
KimTienNguyen
SchoolofMechanicalEngineering,ChonnamNationalUniversity,Gwangju,500757,

ed
Korea
FullMailingAddress

py
nguyenkimtien90@gmail.com
ASMEMembership(ifapplicable)

Co
SeongYoungKo
SchoolofMechanicalEngineering,ChonnamNationalUniversity,Gwangju,500757,
Korea ot
FullMailingAddress
tN
sko@jnu.ac.kr
ASMEMembership(ifapplicable)
rip

JongOhPark
SchoolofMechanicalEngineering,ChonnamNationalUniversity,Gwangju,500757,
sc

Korea
FullMailingAddress
nu

jop@jnu.ac.kr
ASMEMembership(ifapplicable)
Ma

SukhoPark1
SchoolofMechanicalEngineering,ChonnamNationalUniversity,Gwangju,500757,
Korea
ed

FullMailingAddress
spark@jnu.ac.kr
pt

ASMEMembership(ifapplicable)
ce
Ac

1
Sukho Park, School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 500-757,
Korea. Phone: 82-62-530-1687; fax: 82-62-530-0267; e-mail: spark@jnu.ac.kr

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 1

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

ABSTRACT

Thispaperpresentsadesignandfabricationofmillimeterscalewalkingrobotusingionic

d
polymermetal composite (IPMC) actuator as the robots leg for walking in terrestrial

ite
environment. A small scale of new IPMC actuator based on polyvinylidene fluoride

ed
(PVDF)/polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)/polystyrenesulfuric acid (PSSA) blend membrane was

fabricatedandemployedinthisstudytosustainanddrivethewalkingrobotwithsufficient

py
forceanddisplacement.ThePVDF/PVP/PSSAbasedIPMCactuatorwithapolymermixture

Co
ratio of 15/30/55 shows improved performances than Nafion based IPMC actuator. To

enhance a traction force of the walking robot and to increase the life time of IPMC
ot
actuators,theIPMCstripsarecovered withathin PDMSlayer.A miniaturizedterrestrial
tN
walkingrobot(size:181112mm,weight:1.3g)withalightweightrobotsbodywhich
ip

can support 2, 4, or 6IPMCleg models was designed and implemented the walking
r

motiononthegroundatthemaximumspeedof0.58mm/s.
sc
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Keywords: Ionic polymermetal composite actuator, PVDF, PVP, PSSA, terrestrial walking

robot.
Ma

I.INTRODUCTION
ed

Ionic polymermetal composite (IPMC) actuator is a type of wet ionic electro

pt
ce

active polymers (EAPs) that is typically composed of a thin ionexchange membrane

Ac

between two noble metal electrodes (e.g. platinum, gold, silver, etc.) [1]. Generally,

IPMC actuator can be used in many bioinspired aquatic systems or biomedical

applicationsbecauseofitssuperiorproperties,suchaslowactuationvoltage,largetip

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 2

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

displacement,lightweight,wellworkinginaquaticenvironment,easeofminiaturization,

actuation and sensing capabilities, etc. Under electrical field, the mobile cations

gathering with water molecules were redistributed from one electrode surface to the

d
otherone,resultingintheimbalanceinternalstressesinsidethebackbonemembrane.

ite
At the cationpoorregion, polymer chains are contracted, while at the cationrich

ed
region, they are extended, causing the IPMC to bend to the anode side. On the other

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hand, when applying mechanical force to the IPMC, the moving of the mobile cations

Co
cause an electrical charge at each electrode. This can explain both the actuation and

sensingcharacteristicsofIPMCs[2]. ot
tN
However,thetipforcegeneratedbyanIPMCisverysmall,andthelossofwater

moleculeswhileworkinginairisalimitationofthispotentialactuator.Therefore,most
ip

of the bioinspired systems using IPMCs as the actuators or sensors are operated in
r
sc

aquaticenvironmentswheretheactuatingforceisnolongerproblematicwiththeaidof
nu

buoyancy, and the system works well without any loss of water molecules inside.
Ma

Several swimming bioinspired robots were reported as follows: First, fishlike robots

thatcanswiminthewaterbyusinganIPMCasthefishtailhavebeendeveloped[35],
ed

andaraylikeswimmingrobotmimickedthepectoralfinofarayusingIPMCstripshas
pt

been reported [67]. Second, Najem et al. [8] and Gou et al. [9] designed the jellyfish
ce

typeofswimmingrobotusingIPMCstomimicthejellyfishmotion.Finally,Kamamichiet
Ac

al. [10] reported a snakelike swimming robot that consists of two IPMC strips and

appliedperiodicallyinputwithanappropriatefrequencyandphaseshifttorealizethe

snakelikeswimmingmotion.

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 3

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

Contrary to swimming motion, walking motion aimed at moving across many

kindsofterrains,notonlyinaquaticenvironmentsbutalsointerrestrialenvironments.

However,themainconcernforaterrestrialwalkingrobotishowtosupportandmove

d
therobotbody,especiallyabioinspiredwalkingrobotusingIPMCs.Manyresearchers

ite
concentratedtheireffortsonthedesignofarobotstructureandwalkingmechanismin

ed
order to apply this potential IPMC to the biomicro walking robot. Chang et al. used

py
thick Nafion based IPMCs (1mm) to generate sufficient force for a walking robot. The

Co
walkingrobot(size:1028043mm,weight:39g)withsix2DOFlegswasdesigned,

implemented,andwalkedinwateratthespeedof0.5mm/s[11].Anotherreport[12]
ot
tN
introduced an underwater microrobot with multifunctional locomotion that used ten

IPMC actuators to realize walking, rotating, and grasping motions. In aquatic

ip

environment,withtheaidsofbuoyancy,thesewalkingrobotsdonotneedtodealwith
r
sc

the bucking force and blocking force problem in order to support those heavy weight
nu

robots bodies and drive the robot motion. Moreover, the ground contact is not the
Ma

primaryconcernforwalkingrobotinaquaticenvironmentbecauseofthesurrounding

water.However,interrestrialenvironment,especiallyatamillimeterscale,wherethe
ed

friction force governs all the motions, the ground contact plays an important role in
pt

locomotionoftherobot.Thus,theslippingisoneofthebiggestproblemsofterrestrial
ce

walkingrobot.
Ac

Many different terrestrial walking robots using the other smart materials are

developed. One of the most popular smart materials, shape memory alloy (SMA)

actuator has been used to build the walking robot because of its lightweight, large

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 4

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

actuating force and good mechanical properties [1315]. With fast response, high

locomotive power properties, piezoelectric ceramics actuators are widely applied in

walkingrobot,suchasHARM2[16],HARM3[17],andHARMVP[18].However,thereare

d
somedisadvantagesthatlimitthesesmartmaterialsinbiomedicalapplications,suchas

ite
the heat generating by SMA in heating process, the high actuation voltage of

ed
piezoelectric actuator which can damage the human tissues. The ionic EAPs can work

py
overall in robot mission time without degradation, corrosion, or wear in the chemical

Co
environment (enzyme, pH, and under lymphocyte action), thus is suitable for medical

applicationwhichrequireinertmaterials,suchasplatinum,Nitinol(NiTi),somestainless
ot
tN
steels, ceramic alumina, and some polymers. Of course, this material should be non

toxicwithnodamagetothehumanbodyatalowactuationvoltage[19].
ip

The goal of this work is to address these engineering challenges in order to

r
sc

develop a lowpower terrestrial walking robot capable of flat ground locomotion, and
nu

suitableformedicalapplication.TheproposedIPMCactuatorbasedonPVDF/PVP/PSSA
Ma

with polymeric mixture ratio of 30/15/55 was fabricated and its performance was

characterized.Forawalkingrobot,wechosethebestsize,thicknessofIPMCactuatorto
ed

ensure the sufficient force and displacement. In addition, the detailed design and
pt

fabricationoftheproposedwalkingrobotstructure,thewalkingmechanismandcontrol
ce

system will be explained in this paper through five sections. In detail, the fabrication
Ac

processandpropertyanalysesofourIPMCbasedonPVDF/PVP/PSSAwillbepresented

insectionII.SectionIIIdescribesthebioinspiredwalkingrobotstructuredesign,control

systemanditswalkingmechanism.Theexperimentalresultsofthewalkingrobotonthe

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

flat surface at various input frequency were shown in section IV. Finally, section V

focusedonconclusions.

II.PVDF/PVP/PSSABASEDIPMCACTUATORFORTERRESTRIALWALKINGROBOT

ite
1. FabricationandPropertyAnalysisofIPMCactuator

ed
There are many factors that affect the IPMC actuator and cause its nonlinear

py
behavior, such as membrane conditions, surface conditions, conductivity, size, and

driving voltage. The ion exchange membrane condition plays a vital role to IPMC

Co
performance, which decides how much mobile cations and absorbed water molecules
ot
are included in the membrane of IPMC. By controlling the membrane condition, the
tN

characteristics and performance of IPMC can be generally determined. The proposed

ip

blendmembranebasedonPVDF/PVP/PSSAwitharatioof30/15/55hasshownbetter
r
sc

performanceincomparisonwithaconventionalNafionbasedmembrane[20].
nu

To prepare the blend membrane, the polymeric components such as poly

vinylidenefluoride(PVDF),polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)inpowderformandpolystyrene
Ma

sulfuric acid (PSSA) liquid form were dissolved with N, N dimethyl formamide (DMF)
ed

(Sigma Aldrich) toforma 10 w.t %membrane mixture solution. The blend membrane
pt

wasfabricatedbyacastingmethodandtwoelectrodesonthebothsidesoftheblend
ce

membranewerecreated,wheretheelectrolessplatingmethodwasselectedbecauseof
Ac

the nonconductivitypropertiesoftheproposedmembrane. Thefollowingingredients

must be prepared, such as Tetraammine platinum (II) chloride hydrate

([Pt(NH3)4]Cl2H2O)(SigmaAldrich),sodiumborohydride(NaBH4),lithiumchloride(LiCl),

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

hydroxylammonium chloride (HONH2.HCl), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and ammonium

hydroxide(NH4OH)(DAEJUNG,Korea).IPMCfabricationprocedureswereadoptedfrom

the previous works [20], [2123] and were enhanced to ensure sufficient force and

d
displacement for robotics applications. Especially, the platinum electrode coating

ite
process(secondreduction)wasrepeatedtwice,whichcausestheuniformsurfacelayer

ed
thickness, the low resistance, and the high conductivity of the electrodes. Our

py
fabrication method provided 1020 m uniform platinum layers and the surface

Co
resistance around 0.2 /mm. Therefore, it was expected that the proposed IPMC

actuatorhastheenhanceddisplacementandtheincreasedblockingforce.
ot
tN
In order to measure IPMC responses, a data acquisition system was prepared

andsetup,asshowninFig.1.Asadataacquisitionsystem,adigitalsignalprocessing
ip

(DSP)board(DS1103,dSPACE)linkedtoacomputerwasintroduced.Forthedeflection
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sc

measurement of IPMC actuator, DS1103 board was connected to a laser vibrometer

nu

(ModelNo.OFV2510,Polytec)andtotheelectrodesoftheIPMCsclampingdevices.A
Ma

load cell (GSO10, Transducer Techniques) with capacity of 10 g and load cell signal

conditioner(TMO2,TransducerTechniques)wereusedtomeasuretheblockingforce
ed

of IPMC actuator. The measured data were acquired using realtime interface
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ControlDesk software (dSPACE) and linked to MATLAB for analysis throughout the
ce

experiment.
Ac

Inthiswork,manyexperimentshadbeenimplementedtocontrolthedeflection

oftheIPMCactuatorbychangingitssize.IPMCactuatorswithwidths24mm,andthe

following10,15,20mminlengths,arefabricated.InFig.2(a),(b),whenincreasingthe

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 7

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

widthofIPMCactuatorfrom2mmupto4mm,thedisplacementofIPMCactuatoris

decreasedfrom3.8mmdownto2.8mm(with20mmsampleslength),from3.1mmto

2 mm (with 15 mm samples length), and 2.1 mm to 1.12 mm (with 10 mm samples

d
length), whereas the blocking force are increased from 7.22 mN up to 13 mN with

ite
samples of 20 mm in length, from 9.1 mN up to 15.2 mN with samples of 15mm in

ed
length,andfrom10.3mNupto18.2mNwithsamplesof10mminlength.Incontract

py
withincreasingthewidth,whenincreasingthelengthofIPMCactuators,itisobviously

Co
demonstratedthatthedisplacementisstronglyincreasedwhereastheblockingforceis

decreased(Fig.2(b)).BasedontheresponseofIPMCactuator,thesize15mminlength
ot
tN
and 4mm in width is chosen to ensure the proficient displacement and blocking force

for walking robot. The samples thickness used in these experiments is 0.35 mm. Fig.
ip

2(c) demonstrates the relation of IPMC thickness to displacement and blocking force.
r
sc

TheIPMCsampleswithdifferentthicknesses(0.2,0.25,0.30.35,0.4,0.5,0.6,0.70.8,
nu

0.9, 1 mm) are fabricated, tested to choose the proficient thickness IPMC leg for
Ma

terrestrialwalkingrobot.InFig.2(c),theblockingforceisincreasedfrom10mNupto32

mN, and the displacement is decreased from 4.1 mm down to 0.42 mm, when the
ed

thicknessisincreasedfrom0.2mmto1mm.Thesamplesthicknessof0.35mmisthe
pt

most suitable thickness for IPMC leg, which ensure the sufficient blocking force and
ce

displacementaswellastheflexibilityforIPMClegs.Finally,the15mmx4mmx0.35
Ac

mmIPMClegsarechosenforthewalkingrobot.

TheIPMCactuatorwastestedusingsquarewaveinputsignalwithamplitudeof

3 V, actuation frequency of 0.05Hz which aims to test the displacement and blocking

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

force under low actuation voltage (Fig. 3(a)). In part (i), the IPMC shows the bending

response with about 2 mm tip displacement. The data in part (ii) shows the blocking

forceresponseofIPMCactuator.Themaximumblockingforceisdemonstratedonthe

d
figureasabout15mNforce.

ite
TheIPMCactuatorwascarefullycharacterizedtheperformancewiththedesired

ed
actuationvoltage5VDCandACsignal.Fig.3(b)showstheexperimentalresultsofIPMC

py
actuatorsundera5Vsquarewaveinputandvariousactuationfrequenciesfrom0.1to

Co
1 Hz. This experiment aims to characterize the force and displacement responses of

IPMCactuatorundervariousactuationfrequenciesforwalkingrobot.Itshowsthatthe
ot
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displacementandblockingforceoftheIPMCactuatorareinverselyproportionaltothe

actuationfrequency,i.e.,whenweincreasetheactuationfrequency,thedisplacement
ip

and the blocking force of the IPMC actuator are decreased. At 0.1 Hz, our proposed
r
sc

IPMCactuatorshows4mmindisplacementand16mNinblockingforce,whereasthe
nu

displacement and blocking force are decreased to 0.5 mm and 5 mN at 1 Hz,

Ma

respectively. The squarewave input signal was chosen in this experiment because it

creates the greatest force and displacement, as well as the fastest response, in
ed

comparisonwithsinusoidalandsawtoothwaveinputsignals.
pt

ce

2.EnhanceIPMCactuatorperformanceusingPDMScoatingmethod
Ac

Inmicroandmesoscales,thesurfacefrictionforceplaysaveryimportantrole

intheinteractionsbetweenobjects.Especiallyinawalkingrobot,thefrictionbetween

therobotslegsandthegrounddecidestheefficiencyoftherobotmotion.Developing

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

of the walking robot without careful considering the friction between robots leg and

thegroundwillleadtotheslippingproblem,whichcausetheslowedlocomotion.The

lossofgroundcontactbetweentheIPMClegandthegroundwasthemainreasonfor

d
thisproblem.

ite
Inordertosolvethisslippingproblem,weadoptedathinPolydimethylsiloxane

ed
(PDMS) polymer layer to cover the IPMC leg, which can easily bend and come in full

py
contact with the walking plane, no matter how great the contact angle. PDMS is

Co
appropriate for use in this situation because of its flexible properties and easy

fabricationprocess.ThedippingmethodisusedtocoatthePDMSlayeroutsideofthe
ot
tN
IPMCactuator.First,aPDMSsolutionwitharatioof10:1Sylgard184A,i.e.,asilicone

elastomerbase,andSylgard184B,i.e.,asiliconeelastomercuringagent,wasprepared.
ip

ThentheIPMCactuatorswereimmersedintothePDMSsolutiontocoverabout80%of
r
sc

the length of the IPMC, leaving 20% for attaching the electrodes. The IPMCs with the
nu

PDMS coating (called IPMCPDMS) were hung in the oven at 80oC for 1 h. Then, the
Ma

IPMC actuators with a thin PDMS layer are reserved in the DI water for the actuation

test.
ed

Four IPMC actuators with PDMS coating (IPMCPDMS) were assembled in the
pt

walkingrobot,andtheloadcell(GSO10,TransducerTechniques)wasconnectedtothe
ce

walkingrobotusingathinwireforthemeasurementofthefrictionandpropulsionforce,
Ac

asshowninFig.4.Thelineartranslationalstagewasadjustedtoincreasethetensionon

thewirethatconnectstheloadcellandthewalkingrobot,untilthewalkingrobotstarts

to slide. At that moment, the maximum friction force between the robot leg and the

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

groundcanbemeasuredandrecorded.Werepeatedthisexperimentmanytimeswith

IPMCPDMS and IPMC actuators to compare their performances. The experimental

resultsdemonstratedthatthewalkingrobotusingIPMCPDMSshowedgreaterfriction

d
forcethatthatusingIPMCalone.Thatis,thefrictioncoefficientofIPMCPDMSonthe

ite
Teflonsurfaceisabout0.456onaverage,whichislargerthantwicethevalueofIPMC

ed
alone(0.21).TheyshowedthatanIPMCPDMSactuatorhasbettergroundcontactthan

py
IPMC,and therefore,theslippingoftheIPMCwalking robotisreduced. Moreover,by

Co
coating a thin PDMS layer outside of the IPMC actuator, the ground contact was

improved,themotionwasnotdisturbed.WecomparedaregularIPMCactuatorandthe
ot
tN
IPMCPDMSactuatorthroughthedisplacementtests,blockingforcetests,andlifetime

cycletests.AsaresultofthinPDMScoating,theIPMCPDMSactuatorshowsaslightly
ip

unfavorableresponseincomparisonwiththeregularIPMCactuator(Fig.5(a)).Thatis,
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sc

theregularIPMCactuatorshowed2.3mmtipdisplacementand15mNblockingforce,
nu

buttheIPMCPDMSactuatorshowed2mmtipdisplacementand13mNblockingforce.
Ma

However,thelifetimecycleofIPMCPDMSactuatorwasclearlyenhanced.Asshownin

Fig. 5(b), when we test the two actuators with the actuation frequency of 0.4 Hz, the
ed

IPMCPDMS actuator bended steadily after 3.5 minutes, then gradually declined its
pt

performanceandshowedalightlydriftfromtheinitialstageafter7minutes,whilstthe
ce

regular IPMC actuator showed the steady bending motion in 80 s, then dramatically
Ac

changed its shape, significant drift from initial stage at 2 minutes, and strongly

decreaseditsperformance,becamebrittleafter7minutesduetotheleakageofwater

outofthemembraneinactuationprocess.

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

III. DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF MINIATURIZED TERRESTRIAL WALKING ROBOT

USINGIPMC

1.Walkingrobotstructure

In robots mechanical design, many light weight and simple robots structures

d
ite
have been considered, such as wood, plastic, or composite based robots structure.

ed
Especially in milliscale robot, where a large number of control circuit and complex

py
connection need to be populated in a small area, the robots structure plays an

importantroleinrobotmotion.Inordertosolvethisproblem,aprintedcircuitboard

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(PCB) was designed and used as the robots body, upon which all the mechanic parts,
ot
electrode connection pads, and control connection pads and actuators were installed
tN

[1318], [24]. A 1.5mm thick doublesided circuit board is used for this purpose,
ip

resultinginaweightofabout520mgunpopulatedboard(Fig.6(b)).
r
sc

InexperimentsofIPMCactuator,clampingpressurebetweentheIPMCandthe
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clamping device will strongly affect the actuation performance of the IPMC actuators

because electrical contact resistance between two electrodes of the IPMC and the
Ma

clampingdeviceandmaterialpropertieswillbegreatlychangedaccordingtothechange
ed

of clamping pressures [25]. Therefore, in biosystem using IPMC and IPMC robot, the
pt

designoftheelectrodesthatconnectedbetweenIPMCandsystemisveryimportant.It
ce

not only sustains the clamping pressure on IPMC, but ensures the uniform contact
Ac

between electrodes and IPMC as well. Fig 6 (a) illustrates the structure of IPMC leg

connectorswhichwerecutfromthecopperplate(0.35mmthickness).Apairofcopper

connectors is bent with contact angle 10o and fixed to the robots body by manual

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

soldering with the distance 0.3 mm from each other in order to provide enough

clampingpressureonIPMC,easytoassembly,disassemblyaswellasnodamagetothe

IPMCsurface.

d
ThefinaldesignofwalkingrobotareshowedinFig.6withdimensionof18mm

ite
length 11mm width 12 mm height. On the robots body, six pair of copper

ed
connectors were symmetrically designed and placed, in order to fix two, four, or six

py
IPMClegstotherobotsbody,resultinginthe2,4,or6IPMClegmodels(Fig.6(c),(d),

Co
(e) ). In 2IPMCleg model, two IPMC legs are inserted into two front connectors to

generatethemotionforrobot,andtwodummylegs,madeofABSplastic,arefixedto
ot
tN
tworearconnectorstokeepbalanceforrobotduringthewalkingmotion.TheIPMClegs

usinginthisapplicationwithdimensionsof15mm4mm0.35mmwereselectedin
ip

section2.Thisproposedstructurecaneasilyswitchedfrom2IPMClegmodelto4,or
r
sc

6IPMClegmodelsbyassemblytwoorfourmoreIPMClegs.Inthiswork,2,4,or6
nu

IPMClegmodelsareappliedtocharacterizethelocomotionofthewalkingrobot.
Ma

2.ElectronicsforIPMCactuation

ed

Inthiswork,forthecontrollingofthewalkingrobot,anexternalcontrolcircuit,
pt

which consists of locomotion generator, drive stage, and programming interface, was
ce

designedtogeneratethecontrolsignalandsustainthepowerforIPMCactuators.The
Ac

proposed IPMC leg for walking robot has absorbed current around 100 mA when it

operates. The instant maximum current, around 200 mA, occurs when the voltage

abruptlychangesinsquarewavecontrolsignal.Therefore,with6IPMClegmodel,the

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 13

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

maximumabsorbedcurrentcanriseupto1.2A,whensixIPMClegsaresimultaneously

activated. However, the other IPMC strips using Nafionbased IPMC actuator [11]

required much higher operating current at around 500 mA and instant maximum

d
currentatnearly1.5A.

ite
Inordertosupplythathighcurrentcontrolsignaltotheactuators,adrivestage

ed
was designed using an edited Hbridge circuit with bipolar junction transistors PNP

py
2DB1694(Q1,Q2)andNPN2DD2656(Q3,Q4),manufacturedbyDiodesIncorporated.

Co
In Fig. 7(a) the drive transistor resistors are designed as R1 = R2 = R3 = R4 = 2 k, in

ordertoprovidethemaximumsupplycurrentofaround2A,thatensurethepowerfor
ot
tN
IPMC actuators. The drive stage amplifies the current of the sequence control signal

from microcontroller (PIC16F886, 8 bit, manufactured by Microchip Technology Inc.),

ip

butmaintainsthevoltagegainasone.Twoofthesedrivestageareusedtodrivetwo,
r
sc

four,orsixIPMCactuators,whichwillbeexplainedmoredetailedinthenextsection.
nu

Finally,throughthemanualsoldering,wecreatedapopulatedcircuitboardwithsizeof
Ma

18mm18mm(Fig.7(b)).Thiscontrolcircuitwillbeconnectedtotherobotsbodyby

fourof0.05mmdiametercopperwire(Nilaco,Japan)totransferthecontrolsignalsto
ed

eachIPMCactuators.
pt

ce

3.Locomotionsequenceofwalkingrobot

Ac

IPMC actuator can be considered as the continuum structure because of its

bending motion. Thus, in this paper, we proposed a robot locomotion based on this

bendingmotiontomimictheinsectswalkingmotion.Inordertodesignthelocomotion

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 14

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

sequence for 2, 4, and 6IPMCleg robots, the simplest locomotion, 2IPMCleg

locomotion,isfirstlyconsideredasthebackgroundforfurtherlocomotiondesignof4,

and 6IPMCleg models. The locomotion sequence of the robot using two IPMC

d
actuatorscanbedemonstratedbymotionoftwofrontlegsasinFig.8(a).Part(i)isthe

ite
initialstatewherebothIPMClegsaretouchingthegroundandthentherightIPMCleg

ed
started to bend forward in order to prepare for the next step. In this step, the right

py
IPMC leg is liftoff, the left IPMC leg and two rear dummy legs touch the ground that

Co
makeatrianglebetweenthesethreelegs.Therobotbodywasdesignedwiththecenter

ofmassstayinthistriangletoensuretherobotnotcollapsewhenitwalking.Inpart(ii),
ot
tN
theleftIPMClegwhichistouchingtheground,bendbackward(retractionmotion)that

exert a backward force to the ground, and therefore push the robot moving forward.
ip

The left IPMC keep bending backward, lower the robot body, and push the robot
r
sc

movingforwarduntiltheleftandrightlegstouchthegroundlikepart(iii),justthenthe
nu

right IPMC leg bend backward to the initial position, lift the body up, and once again
Ma

pushtherobotmovingforward.Part(iv)showstheforwardbendingmotionofleftleg

back to the initial state. In order to keep robot move straight forward, part (v) to (ix)
ed

repeatedthesameprocedureinpart(i)to(iv),butinasymmetricalway,i.e.theleftleg
pt

startedtobendfirst.Fig8(b)showsthedrivingsignalsfortwoIPMClegstomakethe
ce

bending motion corresponding to the part (i) to (ix) in Fig. 8(a). These signals were
Ac

generatedbythecontrolcircuitwhichwasshowedinsectionIII.2.

Based on the proposed locomotion for 2IPMCleg model, we designed the

locomotion for 4IPMCleg robot by keeping two front IPMC legs, replacing two rear

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

dummy legs by two other IPMC legs, and applying the same proposed locomotion

sequence. In this prototype, two left legs are designed with the same locomotion

sequenceanddrivingsignals,aswellastworightlegs.ByinsertingtwootherIPMClegs

d
intothemiddleconnectorsof4IPMClegrobotandapplyingtheproposedlocomotion

ite
sequence to six IPMC actuators, the tripod locomotion, 6IPMCleg robot locomotion

ed
canbecreated,wheretheleftfrontleg,rightmiddleleg,andleftrearleghavethesame

py
locomotion sequence, driving signal, and vice versa. With 4, and 6IPMCleg robot

Co
locomotion sequence, the walking robot can have theoretically increased locomotive

powerbydouble,ortripleincomparisonwith2IPMClegmodel. ot
tN


IV.EXPERIMENTS
ip

Awalkingrobotprototypehas1.3gweightand18mmlength11mmwidth
r
sc

12mm height and demonstrates walking motions on the flat ground. A number of
nu

groundsurfacesweretestedforwalkingsuchaspaper,metal,plastic,andglass,where
Ma

thewalkingrobotshowedtheslippingorstickingandslowedordisturbedlocomotion.

Especially, Teflon surface was chosen for walking performance test since it provided
ed

good results. The driving voltage is 5V squarewave which can cause the larger
pt

deformation,forceandfasterresponseforIPMCactuatorthantheothersignalbecause
ce

ofabruptchangebetweenpeaksandtroughs.
Ac

First of all, the regular IPMC legs were applied to walking robot to test its

performanceinterrestrialenvironment.However,thewalkingrobotusingregularIPMC

legsshowedslippingproblemandlosingofthegroundcontactbetweenIPMClegsand

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 16

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

theground,whichbroughtthewalkingrobottostandstillinalmosteveryexperiments

and reached the maximum speed, about 0.2 mm/s at 0.1 Hz in one trial. The walking

robotusingregularIPMCshowedworsewalkingresultswhenweincreasedthedriving

d
frequency.

ite
Subsequently, the walking speed of the simplest model, 2IPMCleg robot with

ed
IPMCPDMS legs, was characterized using our proposed locomotion sequence

py
(describedinFig.8(a))atactuationfrequenciesfrom0.1to1Hz,theresultsofwhichare

Co
summarizedinFig.9.Thewalkingrobotshowedthewalkingspeedatabout0.25mm/s

withdrivingfrequencyof0.1Hz.Whenincreasingtheactuationfrequency,thewalking
ot
tN
speedalsoincreased.Andtheoptimaldrivingfrequencyof0.4Hzwasfound,wherethe

walking robot walked on average of 0.55 mm/s and reached the maximum speed at
ip

around 0.58 mm/s in one trial. On the further frequencies, the walking robot showed
r
sc

fast decrease in speed due to the small blocking force and displacement of IPMC
nu

actuatorathigheractuationfrequency.AsIPMCactuatorperformancehighlydepends
Ma

on the actuation frequency in Fig. 3, the bigger the actuation frequency we apply to

robot system, the smaller displacement and force can be generated in order for
ed

obtainingtheefficientstepathigherfrequency(0.5to1Hz).Thewalkingrobotmotion
pt

at0.5Hzisthebestevidenceforthisreason,atwhichtherobottravelledstraightfor15
ce

mmat0.25mm/sbeforeslowingdownandstandstill.
Ac

Then,thewalkingmotionof4,and6IPMClegrobotsareimplementedunder

lowactuationfrequency,0.13Hz,tocharacterizetheirperformance,andcomparewith

2IPMCleg model (Table 2). The 4IPMCleg model showed smooth walking motion in

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 17

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

distance of 28 mm in 60 s, which is approximately 1.33 time faster than 2IPMCleg

robotatthesameactuationfrequency(Table1,secondrow,).Thisresultillustratesthat

the walking robot can increase the locomotive power and speed by using 4IPMCleg

d
model.

ite
However, the 6IPMCleg robot demonstrated a walking speed of 0.33 mm/s

ed
whichisalmostsameto2IPMClegmodel(Table1,thirdrow).This6IPMClegmodel

py
showstheoppositeresultstoourexpectationwhichsupposestobelargerinlocomotive

Co
powerandspeed.Thewalkingperformanceofthewalkingrobotismainlylimitedbythe

performances of the IPMC actuators. And it is expected that the unidentified

ot
tN
displacement is caused by the difference of the IPMC actuators such as its resistance,

conductivityandshape.ThesedifferencesinperformanceofIPMCactuatoraffectedto
ip

walking results of 2leg, 4leg, and 6leg design. Especially, when a larger number of
r
sc

IPMClegs,6legsinthiswork,wereapplied,itshowedworsewalkingperformancedue
nu

toalargernumberofdifferentperformanceIPMClegcausealargerrestrictionforceor
Ma

smallerpushingforcethanin2legor4legdesign.Inaddition,thePDMScoatingofthe

proposedIPMCPDMScanenhancethelifetimeofIPMCactuator.ThePVDF/PVP/PSSA
ed

based IPMCactuatorwith water as thesolvent cannotoperatefor toolonginairand

pt

needtoberehydrated[26].Thisisalsoalimitationfor6IPMClegrobotwhichrequires
ce

moretimetoinserttheIPMClegsintotherobot.
Ac

Therobotwalkingnearlymovesstraightforwardinalmosteverycase.However,

thewalkingrobotoccasionallymovesalittlebittotheleftorright.Weexpectedthat

the different performances between left and right IPMC legs cause a crooked path of

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 18

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

thewalkingrobot.Theeffectofconnectionwirescouldbeignoredbecauseofitsthin,

lightweight properties and sufficient force generated by our fabricated IPMC based

PVDF/PVP/PSSAblendmembranes.

ite
V.CONCLUSIONS

ed

Adesignandresultsofawalkingrobotwithtwo,four,andsixIPMClegs,whichis

py
capableoflowpowerterrestrialwalkingontheflatground,havebeenpresented.This

Co
studyfocusesonPVDF/PVP/PSSAbasedIPMCactuatoranddesignmethodologyofthe

walking robot based on various fundamental experiments such as bending tests,

ot
tN
blocking force tests, and actuating tests on the effect of amplitude and actuation

frequenciestoIPMCresponse.OurPVDF/PVP/PSSAblendmembraneshowedthatthe
ip

proposedIPMCcansustainanddrivethewalkingrobotbody.
r
sc

Despite the limitations mentioned in section IV, the walking robot with
nu

lightweightandsimplestructurehadprovedthepossibilitytomoveontheflatground
Ma

usingselectedIPMCactuator,locomotionsequence,anddrivingsignals.Therefore,the

walkingrobotcanbeaplatformforfurtherworksforwardthefullyautonomousIPMC
ed

walking robot. The future work will address the limitations mentioned in section IV,
pt

including the mechanic works and chemical works, in order to create an autonomous
ce

walking robot capable of walking in several terrains, forward to the biomedical

Ac

application.Forinstance,thefirstimprovementcouldbefocusedonimprovingIPMCs

characteristics for longer lifetime in air by changing from the water based solvent to

ionic liquid based solvent. Another future topic includes the integration of the micro

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 19

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

controller,sensor,powerontheflexiblecircuit,andchangingthemechanicaldesignof

therobot,whichcapableofcontrollingofthelegsmotioncurve.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

d
ite
ThisresearchwassupportedbyNSL(NationalSpaceLab)programthroughtheNational

ed
Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and

py
Technology(2014034793).

Co
ot
tN
r ip
sc
nu
Ma
ed
pt
ce
Ac

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 20

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

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Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

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Actuator

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

FigureCaptionsList

Fig.1 ExperimentalsetupforIPMCbendingtest,andblockingforcetest

Fig.2 (a)Displacementresponse,(b)blockingforceresponseofIPMCactuator

d
ite
with different width and length, (c) displacement and blocking force

ed
responseofIPMCactuatorwithdifferentthickness.

py
Fig.3 (a)DisplacementandblockingforceresponseofIPMCactuatorunder3

V,0.05Hzinputsignal;(b)ResponseofIPMCundervariousinputsignals

Co
(5V,0.11Hz)
ot
Fig.4 Experimental setup for friction force test between walking robot and
tN

ground
ip

Fig.5 (a)DisplacementandblockingforceresponseofregularandIPMCPDMS
r
sc

actuator; (b) lifetime cycle of regular IPMC actuator and IPMCPDMS

nu

actuator.
Ma

Fig.6 (a)StructureofIPMClegconnectors,and(b)PCBrobotbody;Designof

IPMC walking robot (c) 2IPMCleg model, (d) 4IPMCleg model, (e) 6
ed

IPMClegmodel
pt

Fig.7 (a) Detailed schematic of the drive stage for IPMC actuators; (b)
ce

Populatedcontrolcircuitforwalkingrobot
Ac

Fig.8 (a) Locomotion of walking robot; (b) Sequence control signal for the

walkingrobot

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 25

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

Fig.9 The speed trial results were obtained for 0.1 to 1 Hz actuation

frequencies.Thedatapointsshowthesteadyresults,whereastheerror

areashowsthemaximumandminimum trialspeedvalues.

ite
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ot
tN
r ip
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nu
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ed
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Ac

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 26

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

TableCaptionList

Table1Framecaptureofwalkingmotionundersequencecontrolsignal5V,0.13Hz

Table2Walkingtest

d
Table3Comparisonofdifferenttypesofwalkingrobot

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

Table1.Framecaptureofwalkingmotionundersequencecontrolsignal5V,0.13Hz
0s 20s 40s 60s

d
IPMC
leg

ite
robot

ed
4

py
IPMC
leg
robot

Co
6
IPMC
ot
tN
leg
robot
ip

Table2.Walkingtest
r
sc

Size Weight Speed(mm/s)atdrivingfrequency(Hz)

Prototype
(mmxmmxmm) (g)
nu

0.10 0.13 0.20 0.40 0.50 0.80 1.00

2leg 18x11x12 1.26 0.25 0.35 0.48 0.58 0.25 0.18 0.10
Ma

4leg 18x11x12 1.30 0.47

6leg 18x11x12 1.34 0.33

ed

Table3.Comparisonofdifferenttypesofwalkingrobot
pt

Robot Typeofactuator Power Responsetimes Speed

ce

HAMR3[17] Piezoelectricactuator 200V 20Hz 4.3cm/s

Electrothermal
ARRIpede[24] 25V 65Hz 3mm/s
Ac

actuator
RoACH[15] SMA 13.6V 7.5Hz 3cm/s

MEMSmicrorobot[13] SMA 3V 2Hz 0.325mm/s

IPMCwalkingrobot IPMC 5V 0.4Hz 0.58mm/s

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 28

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

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Fig.1.ExperimentalsetupforIPMCbendingtest,andblockingforcetest
tN
r ip
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nu
Ma
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Ac

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 29

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

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ite
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(a)

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(b)
nu
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(c)
ce

Fig.2.(a)Displacementresponse,(b)blockingforceresponseofIPMC
Ac

actuatorwithdifferentwidthandlength,(c)displacementand
blockingforceresponseofIPMCactuatorwithdifferent
thickness.

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 30

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

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(a)
ot
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(b)

Fig3.(a)DisplacementandblockingforceresponseofIPMC
ed

actuatorunder3V,0.05Hzinputsignal;(b)Responseof
IPMCundervariousinputsignals(5V,0.11Hz)
pt
ce
Ac

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 31

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

d
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Fig4.Experimentalsetupforfrictionforcetestbetweenwalking
robotandground ot
tN
r ip
sc
nu

(a)
Ma
ed
pt
ce
Ac

(b)

Fig.5(a)Displacementandblockingforceresponseofregularand
IPMCPDMSactuator;(b)lifetimecycleofregularIPMC
actuatorandIPMCPDMSactuator.

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 32

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

d
ite
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py
Co
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tN

Fig6.(a)StructureofIPMClegconnectors,and(b)PCBrobotbody;DesignofIPMC
walkingrobot(c)2IPMClegmodel,(d)4IPMClegmodel,(e)6IPMCleg
ip

model
r
sc
nu
Ma
ed
pt
ce
Ac

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 33

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

d
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(a) (b)

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Fig7.(a)DetailedschematicofthedrivestageforIPMCactuators;(b)Populated
controlcircuitforwalkingrobot

ot
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(a)
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(b)
Fig8.(a)Locomotionofwalkingrobot;(b)Sequencecontrolsignalforthewalkingrobot

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 34

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Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics. Received August 12, 2015;
Accepted manuscript posted December 31, 2015. doi:10.1115/1.4032407
Copyright (c) 2015 by ASME

Miniaturized Terrestrial Walking Robot using PVDF/PVP/PSSA based Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite
Actuator

d
ite
ed
py
Co
ot
Fig.9.Thespeedtrialresultswereobtainedfor0.1to1Hzactuationfrequencies.
Thedatapointsshowthesteadyresults,whereastheerrorareashowsthe
tN
maximumandminimumtrialspeedvalues
r ip
sc
nu

Ma
ed
pt
ce
Ac

JMR-15-1219 Park et al 35

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