page_title: Electroactive polymers
hierarchical_section_title: Electroactive polymers
caption_attribution_description: English: Cartoon Drawing of an EAP gripper device.
context_page_description: Electroactive polymers, or EAPs, are polymers that exhibit a change in size or shape when stimulated by an electric field. The most common applications of this type of material are in actuators and sensors. A typical characteristic property of an EAP is that they will undergo a large amount of deformation while sustaining large forces.
  The majority of historic actuators are made of ceramic piezoelectric materials. While these materials are able to withstand large forces, they commonly will only deform a fraction of a percent. In the late 1990s, it has been demonstrated that some EAPs can exhibit up to a 380% strain, which is much more than any ceramic actuator. One of the most common applications for EAPs is in the field of robotics in the development of artificial muscles; thus, an electroactive polymer is often referred to as an artificial muscle.
context_section_description: Electroactive polymers, or EAPs, are polymers that exhibit a change in size or shape when stimulated by an electric field. The most common applications of this type of material are in actuators and sensors.  A typical characteristic property of an EAP is that they will undergo a large amount of deformation while sustaining large forces.
  The majority of historic actuators are made of ceramic piezoelectric materials. While these materials are able to withstand large forces, they commonly will only deform a fraction of a percent. In the late 1990s, it has been demonstrated that some EAPs can exhibit up to a 380% strain, which is much more than any ceramic actuator. One of the most common applications for EAPs is in the field of robotics in the development of artificial muscles; thus, an electroactive polymer is often referred to as an artificial muscle.
caption: (a) Cartoon drawing of an EAP gripping device.
  (b) A voltage is applied and the EAP fingers deform in order to surround the ball.
  (c) When the voltage is removed, the EAP fingers return to their original shape and release the ball.
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