Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. High Force Density Textile Electrostatic Clutch
 
research article

High Force Density Textile Electrostatic Clutch

Hinchet, Ronan  
•
Shea, Herbert  
December 18, 2019
Advanced Materials Technologies

Clutches are key elements for blocking or coupling motion in wearable systems such as soft exoskeletons, haptic clothing, and rehabilitation equipment. Electrostatic clutches (ESclutches) are compact and light, making them particularly well-suited for wearable applications. They are variable capacitors whose electrodes can slide with respect to each other, with a frictional force between electrodes proportional to the square of the applied voltage. A high force-density textile-based ESclutch is reported here, generating frictional shear stresses of 21 N cm(-2) at only 300 V, a stress level 11 times higher than any other ESclutch, and 88 times better than textile-based ESclutches. Actuation and release time are inferior to 5 and 15 ms. Power consumption is below 1.2 mW cm(-2). To reach such high frictional stresses, a dielectric material with high permittivity is chosen (P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)), a fabrication process that enables highly planar dielectric and conductive films on textile is developed, and an alternating current waveform is optimized to minimize space charge. The ESclutch is thin, highly flexible, and weighs only 30 mg cm(-2). The device demonstrated here is designed for wearable applications such as kinesthetic haptic feedback for virtual reality or for soft exoskeletons.

  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1002/admt.201900895
Web of Science ID

WOS:000503100000001

Author(s)
Hinchet, Ronan  
Shea, Herbert  
Date Issued

2019-12-18

Publisher

Wiley

Published in
Advanced Materials Technologies
Article Number

1900895

Subjects

Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

•

Materials Science

•

electrostatic clutch

•

haptic glove

•

kinesthetic feedback

•

p(vdf-trfe-ctfe)

•

wearables textile integration

•

pull-in instability

•

variable stiffness

•

haptics

•

design

•

future

•

technology

•

capacitors

•

device

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LMTS  
Available on Infoscience
January 2, 2020
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/164268
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés