SOFT AND WET CONDUCTING POLYMERS FOR ARTIFICIAL MUSCLES

Muscles convert chemical energy to mechanical energy plus heal at cons tant temperature. The search for artificial muscles that do the same i s described, beginning with polymer gels-which were restricted to slow movements and had high energy consumption-and ending with the bilayer devices that have been constructed from conducting polymers more rece ntly. The mechanism of operation of these devices is explained, showin g how the electrochemically stimulated conformational movements of the conducting polymer chains are translated into macroscopic movements.