基于IPMC仿生机器鱼驱动技术研究

Research on Actuating Technology of IPMC-Based Biomimetic Robotic Fish

离子聚合物金属复合材料(IPMC)是一种基于离子迁移运动的柔性智能材料。由于这种材料在低电压作用下能够产生弯曲变形,适用于水下仿生机器鱼的摆动驱动结构,因此基于IPMC的仿生机器鱼驱动技术成为了研究的一大热点。文中分析了基于柔性智能材料仿生机器鱼的研究现状,发现基于IPMC的仿生机器鱼整体驱动性能较差,存在游动速度慢、载荷能力低等缺点。这主要是由于材料自身输出力小,叠层结构效率低等固有缺点造成的。因此,为了提高仿生机器鱼的整体性能,扩大其应用范围,文中以驱动材料的整体性能匹配仿生机器鱼的驱动需求,从驱动材料角度提出3种可用于仿生机器鱼的驱动技术:基于醇辅助工艺的超厚型大驱动力IPMC、基于脉冲高电压驱动的IPMC快速响应驱动技术以及空间叠层结构驱动技术。同时通过对比实验进一步证明这些技术可以有效提高IPMC驱动材料的整体输出力、响应速度和空间叠层结构的叠加效率,为基于IPMC仿生机器鱼的驱动结构研究提供了参考。

An ionic polymer-metal composite(IPMC) is suitable for the swing actuating structure of a biomimetic robotic fish because it is able to produce bending deformation under low voltage. In this paper, the research status of a biomimetic robotic fish based on soft smart materials is analyzed. It shows that actuating performance of the IPMC-based biomimetic robotic fish is unsatisfactory, such as slow speed and low load capacity, which are due to poor output force and low efficiency of the stacking structure. In order to improve the performance of the biomimetic robotic fish and widen its application, this paper matches overall performance of IPMC with the actuating demand of the biomimetic robotic fish. From the perspective of the materials, three actuating technologies for the biomimetic robotic fish are proposed as follows: the ultra-thick and large actuating force IPMC based on alcohol-assisted process;the fast response technology of IPMC based on impulsive voltage;and the spatial stacking structure actuating technology. Contrast experiments prove that these technologies can effectively improve the overall output force, the response speed, and the spatial stacking structure of stacking efficiency for IPMC actuating material. This study may provide a reference for the actuating structure design of the biomimetic robotic fish.