Asaka K., Okuzaki H. (Eds.) Soft Actuators: Materials, Modeling, Applications, and Future Perspectives

2nd Edition. — Springer, 2019. — 722 p. — ISBN: 9811368493.This book is the second edition of Soft Actuators, originally published in 2014, with 12 chapters added to the first edition. The subject of this new edition is current comprehensive research and development of soft actuators, covering interdisciplinary study of materials science, mechanics, electronics, robotics, and bioscience. The book includes contemporary research of actuators based on biomaterials for their potential in future artificial muscle technology.
Readers will find detailed and useful information about materials, methods of synthesis, fabrication, and measurements to study soft actuators. Additionally, the topics of materials, modeling, and applications not only promote the further research and development of soft actuators, but bring benefits for utilization and industrialization. This volume makes generous use of color figures, diagrams, and photographs that provide easy-to-understand descriptions of the mechanisms, apparatus, and motions of soft actuators. Also, in this second edition the chapters on modeling, materials design, and device design have been given a wider scope and made easier to comprehend, which will be helpful in practical applications of soft actuators. Readers of this work can acquire the newest technology and information about basic science and practical applications of flexible, lightweight, and noiseless soft actuators, which differ from conventional mechanical engines and electric motors. This new edition of Soft Actuators will inspire readers with fresh ideas and encourage their research and development, thus opening up a new field of applications for the utilization and industrialization of soft actuators.Progress and Current Status of Materials and Properties of Soft Actuators
Current Status of Applications and Markets of Soft Actuators
Materials of Soft Actuators: Thermo-Driven Soft Actuators
Electromagnetic Heating
Thermo-Responsive Nanofiber Mats Fabricated by Electrospinning
Evolution of Self-Oscillating Polymer Gels as Autonomous Soft Actuators
Polyrotaxane Actuators
Materials of Soft Actuators: Electro-Driven Soft Actuators
Ionic Conductive Polymers
Conducting Polymers
Humidity-Sensitive Conducting Polymer Actuators
Carbon Nanotube/Ionic Liquid Composites
Ion Gels for Ionic Polymer Actuators
Ionic Liquid/Polyurethane/PEDOT:PSS Composite Actuators
Dielectric Gels
Dielectric Elastomers
Piezoelectric Polymers
Thermal and Electrical Actuation of Liquid Crystal Elastomers/Gels
Materials of Soft Actuators: Light-Driven Soft Actuators
Spiropyran-Functionalized Hydrogels
Photomechanical Energy Conversion with Cross-Linked Liquid-Crystalline Polymers
Photoredox Reaction
Materials of Soft Actuators: Magneto-Driven Soft Actuators
Magnetic Fluid Composite Gels
Magnetic Particle Composite Gels
Modeling
Molecular Mechanism of Electrically Induced Volume Change of Porous Electrodes
Computational Modeling of Mechanical Sensors Using Ionic Electroactive Polymers
Distributed Parameter System Modeling
Control of Electro-active Polymer Actuators with Considering Characteristics Changes
Motion Design-A Gel Robot Approach
Motion Control
IPMC Actuation Mechanisms and Multi-physical Modeling
Sensing Properties and Physical Model of Ionic Polymer
Modeling of Dielectric Elastomer Actuator
Modeling of Dielectric Gel Using Multi-physics Coupling Theory
Modeling and Control of Fishing-Line/Sewing-Thread Artificial Muscles (Twisted and Coiled Polymer Fibers, TCPFs)
Applications
Underwater Soft Robots
IPMC Actuator-Based Multifunctional Underwater Microrobots
Medical Applications
Elastomer Transducers
Dielectric Elastomer Sensors: Development of a Stretchable Strain Sensor System
Next-Generation Bio-actuators
Tissue-Engineering Approach to Making Soft Actuators
Integration of Soft Actuators Based on a Biomolecular Motor System to Develop Artificial Machines
Employing Cytoskeletal Treadmilling in Bio-actuators
Construction and Functional Emergence of Bioactuated Micronanosystem and Living Machined Wet Robotics