Electromechanical energy harvesting

Electromechanical Energy Harvesting with Piezoelectric Polymers. 542... 

This chapter presents a brief overview on sensor and transducer applications of piezoelectric and electrostrictive polymers. Piezoelectric and electrostrictive polymers are smart electromechanical materials which have already found commercial applications in various transducer configurations. Novel applications may arise in the emerging fields of autonomous robots, electronic skin, and flexible energy generators. This chapter focuses on recent device demonstrations of piezoelectric and electrostrictive polymers in these novel fields of research to stimulate and to facilitate the exchange of ideas between disciplines. The applications considered include piezoelectric sensors for electronic skin, piezoelectric loudspeakers and transducers for mechanically flexible energy harvesters, as well as electrostrictive transducers for haptic feedback in displays. 

The unique advantages of dielectric elastomers have stimulated a great number of apphcations which can be categorized into actuators, energy harvesters, and sensors. This chapter presents multiple electromechanical transduction systems including biologically inspired robotics, tactile feedback and displays, tunable optics, fluid control and microfluidics, capacitive sensors, and energy harvesters. 

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