Title: Electroactive Polymers as Artificial Muscles and Sensors: A Control
Systems Perspective

Abstract:

Electroactive polymers (EAP.s), also known as artificial muscles, are
novel actuation and sensing materials with potential applications in micro
and bio manipulation, prosthetics, biomimetic robotics, and smart
structures. In this talk we discuss the vital role systems and control
tools can play in the understanding and utilization of these materials as
actuators and sensors. Taking conjugated polymers and ionic-polymer metal
composites as examples, we illustrate how to obtain simple models from
fundamental physics and then use them for efficient and effective control
and sensing. Experimental results are provided throughout the talk to
corroborate the theoretical and modeling effort.

Bio:
Xiaobo Tan is an Assistant Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering
at Michigan State University. He received his Bachelor's and Master's
degrees in Automatic Control from Tsinghua University in 1995, 1998, and
his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of
Maryland in 2002. Prior to joining MSU in 2004, he was a Research
Associate with the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) at the University
of Maryland. His research interests include electroactive polymer sensors
and actuators, biomimetic microrobotics, micro-, nano-, and
bio-manipulation, control of autonomous swarms, and control of smart
materials. He was a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award in 2006.