Voltage-controlled morphing of dielectric elastomer circular sheets into conical surfaces

Dielectric elastomers provide large, fast, and reversible deformations which can be harnessed to provide predefined sophisticated actuation deformations. This paper describes a method, fabrication technique and analysis tools for morphing flat sheets of dielectric elastomers into conical shapes upon applying a voltage, using a set of concentric, stiff rings that are 3D-printed onto a multilayer elastomer sheet. A finite elements user-subroutine and a simple analytical model are developed to predict the actuation profile, both showing excellent agreement with the experimental measurements. The actuation force of the dielectric elastomer actuator is measured as a function of the applied voltage and displacement and estimated using the analytical and numerical models. Finally, a few examples of dielectric elastomers with other designs of the 3D-printed stiffening elements and their actuation shapes are demonstrated.