openMaterials

The worldwide first EAP propelled airship was made at Empa in collaboration with aeroix GmbH and the Technical University of Berlin. This lighter-than-air vehicle with 8 m in length consists of a slightly pressurized Helium filled body of a biologically inspired form with Dielectric Elastomer (DE) actuators acting as muscles and deforming the body and [...]

I just had a delivery of some Electroactive Polymer (EAP) to experiment with. EAP changes shape when voltage is applied, making it a great material for actuators or sensors. I found a great reference which lists fabrication recipes for making your own EAP. Some of the contributions include - Carbon Nanotube - EAP Ion-exchange Polymer Metal [...]