Fiber-shaped actuators

The most popular smart materials are piezoelectric materials, magnetostric-tive materials, shape-memory alloys, electrorheological fluids, electrostrictive materials, and optical fibers. Magnetostrictives, electrostrictives, shape-memory alloys, and electrorheological fluids are used as actuators optical fibers are used primarily as sensors (see Shape Memory Polymers)... 

Tseng, L.F., Mather, P.T., Henderson, J.H., 2013. Shape-memory-actuated change in scaffold fiber alignment directs stem ceU morphology. Acta Biomateriaha 9, 8790-8801. 

We will discuss several strategies to tether the properties of LCE actuators to certain specifications, and then present examples of actuator systems of different shapes and different domain sizes. We shall differentiate between macroscopic and microscopic LCE actuators. Films (Sect. 2.2.1) and fibers (Sect. 2.2.2) typically have at least one macroscopic dimension. Microscopic actuation systems from LCEs have received much interest lately and have recently been the subject of a specialized review [88]. In Sect. 2.2.3, we will discuss micrometer-sized actuators that are fixed on a solid substrate to yield stunuU-responsive surfaces. In Sect. 2.2.4, we will review several methods for preparation of coUoid-like actuators that are freely suspended in air or in a surrounding Uquid. 

Fig. 3 (a) Linear actuation of a conducting polymer-coated fiber (Reproduced from Ismail et al. (2011), with permission irom Elsevier), (b) Origami shapes with polypyrrole-coated paper (Reproduced from Okuzaki et al. (2008), with permission from the Institue of Physics), (c) Linear actuator from two bending triple layer actuator (Reproduced from Otero et al. (2007), with... 

Light-responsive shape recovery of a SMP micro-actuator coupled to (a) an optical fiber (b) temporary straight rod and (c) permanent corkscrew form (Small eta ., 2005). 

Leng, J., Lv, H., Liu, Y, Du, S. (2008b), Synergic effect of carbon black and short carbon fiber on shape memory polymer actuation by electricity. Journal of Applied Physics, 104,104917. 

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