Evaluation of dielectric elastomers to develop materials suitable for actuation.

Electroactive polymers based on dielectric elastomers are stretchable and compressible capacitors that can act as transducers between electrical and mechanical energies. Depending on the targeted application, soft actuators, sensors or mechanical-energy harvesters can be developed. Compared with conventional technologies, they present a promising combination of properties such as being soft, silent, light and miniaturizable.