A sensor-actuator integrated system based on IPMCs [ionic polymer metal composites]

In this paper, an integrated motion sensor-actuator system is presented. The innovative system consists of a couple of ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) strips working respectively as a sensor and as an actuator, showing the capability of this material to realize smart devices. Although a number of applications have been proposed to show that IPMCs can work both as actuator or as sensor, none has been produced that exploits both properties in one application. The developed system is composed of a sensor that monitors the vibrations of a membrane under the effects of external disturbances. The sensor output is manipulated and sent to the actuator to reduce vibrations of the membrane itself. Experimental results show that the vibrations of the system are reduced when the control loop is closed.