Electromechanical model of IPMC artificial muscle

The emphasis of this paper is on IPMC that is a part of the ionic EAP materials category. These materials usually contain an electrolyte and they involve transport of ions/molecules in response to an external electric field. An electromechanical model that relates the electric input and mechanical output is required for the material characterization and application. This paper addresses electrical model, mechanical model and the electromechanical actuation of IPMC. This model proposed to simulate the bending actuation of the IPMC component when a potential is applied to the muscle. The model was successfully able to predict the load that the muscle can hold at the corresponding applied voltage.