Dynamic Testing and Modelling of DEAP Push Actuators

The paper describes the dynamic characterization of DEAP push actuators. The ones considered in this work are fabricated from PolyPower (R), by rolling a sheet in a cylindrical shape. A dynamic experimental study of the actuator was performed by driving the actuator with an electrodynamic shaker and supplying a voltage from 0 to 2700 V across the actuator electrodes. Frequency responses were measured up to 1 kHz. A mechanical model was used to predict the dynamic characteristics of the actuator. A good agreement between theory and experimental data was obtained by using a multi-element model. The variables of the model, such as the density or the Young's modulus, were updated to minimize differences between measured and predicted natural frequencies. The comparison between theoretical static properties and measured dynamic ones is finally discussed.