Bioinspired artificial muscles based on dielectric elastomers

Electromechanically Active Polymers (EAPs) are electrically responsive materials that show deformations upon electrical stimulation. EAP actuators have several functional characteristics in common with natural muscles and so are being studied as ‘artificial muscles’ for a variety of possible systems that require new ‘smart’ actuators. Although several EAP materials and their properties have been known for many decades, they have not found application in products until the year 2011, when the first mass-produced commercial device has been released. Written at the dawn of the early transition from academia into commercialization of the EAP field, this chapter is aimed at providing basic information about the emerging EAP technology known as dielectric elastomer actuators, and at presenting an example of its application for bioinspired optical tunable lenses. It is hoped that this overview can instruct the reader on how combing bioinspired design with dielectric elastomer artificial muscles can open new perspectives for radically new devices.