A3D gel actuator-limitation and prospects of CNT actuators for industrial use

Carbon Nanotube Actuators have promising properties for a novel class of low voltage and soft actuators. However the production process for the actuators woll beintroduced followed by the definition of their main drawbacks from the point of view of industrialization. A potential solution in the form of an active/actuating 3D CNT gel system (A3D-gel) was proposed at Stuttgart NanoDays 2009 where assumptions of the system functionality and its advantages were given with the main benefit being the incrase in reproducibility through system and manufacturing simplification and automation. This system was improved in terms of mechanical stiffness and the latest results as well as potential applications will be shown within the talk.