title: Electrical model of a carbon-polymer composite (CPC) collision detector.
abstract: We present a study of an electrical model of electromechanically active carbon-polymer composite (CPC) with carbide-derived carbon (CDC) electrodes. The major focus is on investigation of surface electrode behavior upon external bending of the material. We show that electrical impedance measured from the surface of the CDC-based CPC can be used to determine the curvature of the material and, hence, the tip displacement of a CPC laminate in a cantilever configuration. It is also shown that by measuring surface signals in the process of an actuator's work-cycle, we obtain a self-sensing collision-detecting CPC actuator that can be considered as a counterpart of biomimetic vibrissae.
authors.affiliation: IMS Lab, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia. karl.kruusamae@ut.ee
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kruusamäe
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Punning
authors.forename: Alvo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aabloo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003217:Conductometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004566:Electrodes; D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D014110:Touch; D014159:Transducers; D014738:Vibrissae
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D002244:Carbon