Evaluation of a Dielectric Elastomer Actuator Made of an Organogel Fabricated by 3D Printing

In this paper, we fabricated a 3-dimensional (3D) organogel by using 3D printing and evaluated its properties. DEAs have been widely used in various fields because of their high energy density and fast response. DEAs consist of a dielectric elastomer and flexible electrodes, and their strain is influenced by the relative permittivity and Young’s modulus of the elastomer. Organogel has high relative permittivity and low Young’s modulus compared to other dielectric elastomers. Thus, DEAs made of an organogel can generate significant strain. This characteristic is ideal for applications such as organ models and tactile presentation devices. However, it is difficult to fabricate complex-shaped organogels by using conventional fabrication methods. 3D printing is one of the most effective methods for fabricating complex shape. Therefore, we used a 3D printer to realize complex-shaped DEAs made of an organogel.