Papers by Author: Salvatore Graziani

Abstract: IPMCs are suitable candidates to realize artificial muscles for possible autonomous applications. In such a field power budget is of great importance. The goal of this paper is to maximize the IPMC electromechanical conversion efficiency in order to increase the performance of these transducers. More specifically, the optimal frequency, amplitude, and waveform to be used to drive the IPMC membrane has been investigated. By using a novel model of IPMC actuators, the waveform of the applied voltage signal that maximize the IPMC conversion efficiency was found. The amplitude of the first 15 harmonics of the IPMC driving signal was determined, for different constrains such as the minimum output power and the maximum input voltage. The paper reports about the proposed IPMC model, the optimization algorithm, the optimal driving signals, and the validation of the approach.

Abstract: In this work the design and realization of an artificial vestibular system demonstrator is presented. The whole system is biologically inspired to the human vestibular apparatus. The mototransduction capabilities of ionomeric polymer-metal composite (IPMC) have been used in order to develop the prototype [1]. The reported results are the starting point to the future design and development of a miniaturized artificial vestibular system, integrating biocompatible materials and all-organic electronic devices [2].