Dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs) are known for their large strains, low mass and high compliance, making
them very attractive for a broad range of applications, from soft robotics to tuneable optics, or energy harvesting.
However, 15 years after the first major paper in the field, commercial applications of the technology are still
scarce, owing to high driving voltages, short lifetimes, slow response speed, viscoelastic drift, and no optimal
solution for the compliant electrodes. At the EPFL's Microsystems for Space Technologies laboratory, we have
been working on the miniaturization and manufacturability of DETs for the past 10 years. In the frame of
this talk, we present our fabrication processes for high quality thin-_lm silicone membranes, and for patterning
compliant electrodes on the sub mm-scale. We use either implantation of gold nano-clusters through a mask, or
pad-printing of conductive rubber to precisely shape the electrodes on the dielectric membrane. Our electrodes
are compliant, time stable and present strong adhesion to the membrane. The combination of low mechanical-
loss elastomers with robust and precisely-defined electrodes allows for the fabrication of very fast actuators that
exhibit a long lifetime. We present different applications of our DET fabrication process, such as a soft tuneable
lens with a settling time smaller than 175 microseconds, a motor spinning at 1500 rpm, and a self-commutating
rolling robot.
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