Structures are provided that include electroactive polymers. According to these structures, the electroactive materials have enhanced conductivity in a first direction. Also, the structures include either pores or inclusions. These pores or inclusions are non-parallel to the first direction. In addition, methods for forming structures that include electroactive polymers that have enhanced conductivity in a first direction are provided. These methods allow for pores and/or inclusions to be formed in the electroactive polymers.

Methods and compositions for the reliable detection of chemical stimuli using a "nose-on-a-chip" are presented. The invention uses cells sensitive to chemical stimuli and detects and processes the signals given by the cells upon contact with chemical stimuli.

An electrically conductive, compliant elastomer material that is impregnated with a metal is formed by combining a metal salt with an elastomer precursor material to form a metal salt/precursor mixture, curing the metal salt/precursor mixture to form an elastomer impregnated with metal salt, and treating the elastomer impregnated with metal salt with a chemical reducing composition so as to convert at least a portion of the metal salt impregnated within the elastomer to a metal. The elastomer can be subjected to a suitable solvent that swells the elastomer during the chemical reduction of the metal salt to metal, which enhances the mechanical and electrical properties of the resultant metal impregnated elastomer material.

An actuator cell includes a supply chamber containing fluid, and an expansion chamber for receiving fluid from the supply chamber, and being expandable to deform a predetermined area of the actuator cell. The actuator cell further includes a channel providing a fluid flow passage between the supply and expansion chambers, and a compliant material substantially surrounding the supply chamber, the expansion chamber and/or the channel. An electric circuit applies an electric field adjacent the supply and expansion chambers, and thereby causes fluid flow from the supply to the expansion chamber.

A linear electrochemical actuator is described where at least one electrically conductive (between 400 and 1000 S/cm), doped polyaniline solid fiber or a yarn produced from such fibers is disposed in an electrolyte inside of a electrically conductive polyaniline hollow fiber, thereby allowing 2-electrode operation without a metal backing. This is an example of the electrochemical devices of the present invention having a solid-in-hollow polymer fiber configuration. In a propylene carbonate electrolyte, the electrochemical and actuation behavior of the fibers was found to be influenced by the solubility and size of the polymer dopants. That is, solubility of the dopant in the electrolyte resulted in high electroactivity and strain in the fibers. Actuation of fibers was also affected by electrolyte anions, small anions resulting in anion-exchange dominated actuation, while large anions resulted in cation-exchange dominated actuation. Isotonic strains of 0.9% and isometric stresses of 0.9 MPa were realized for the solid-in-hollow polyaniline fiber actuators.

The present invention includes the preparation of highly conducting conjugated polymers and their use as electrochemical actuators, A typical electrochemical actuator comprises a highly conducting, conjugated polymer for the anode or the cathode, or for both the anode and the cathode; suitable conjugate polymers have a conductivity ~100 S/cm. The material may have any form, including films and fibers. A preferred shape is a strip or a fiber, where the fiber can be solid or hollow, although any shape may be used. Before use, the material may be treated, for example, by immersion in an acid, in order to dope/protonate the material or to introduce anions or to exchange the anion in the polymer for another anion. Other materials may be incorporated in the polyaniline to increase its conductivity or to provide other benefits, such as increased strength. Useful conducting polymers include monomers of anilines, pyrroles, thiophenes, phenylene vinylenes, and derivatives thereof.

A conjugated polymer actuator having attached electrodes is described wherein direct electrical stimulation induces changes in the dimensions and mechanical properties thereof without the need for electrolytes or counter electrodes.

A position/movement sensitive effect-emitting strain gauge device includes a responsive portion, such as an electrically conductive fabric, that can be stretched or relaxed and that changes an electrical property, such as resistance, when stretched or relaxed. The changeable electrical property of the responsive portion is detected by a regulating circuit, which sends a signal that depends on the detected electrical property to an effect-emitting component. The effect may be sound or light emission or the like. The shape of the responsive portion can be such as to allow it to fit over a body part, e.g., a tube shape would allow it to fit over an elbow. When worn, the electrical property of the responsive portion, and therefore the emitted effect, depends on the user's positions/movements.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a micromachined structure to be at least partly released from a substrate surface. A surface contact area, over which structure and the said substrate surface are in surface contact with each other during the manufacturing step, is divided into at least a first and a second contact zone, the adhesiveness between the structure and the substrate being greater in the first contact zone than in the second contact zone. As a manufacturing step, or as a step subsequent to the manufacturing, the structure can be released from the substrate surface at least over said second contact zone. The completed structure may also be completely loose from the substrate. The invention is also directed to a micromachined structure manufactured according to the method.

The present invention relates to a novel composite capable of rapid volume change, the use of said composite as well as an actuator comprising the composite. Thus, the invention relates to a composite comprising one conjugated polymer capable of changing redox-potential upon the onset of an electrical or chemical stimulus, and an ion-sensitive gel capable of changing volume, the polymer and the gel being morphologically interrelated, and wherein the volume change of the gel is in response to the change of the redox-potential of the conjugated polymer, and 50 % of the total volume change of the composite is achieved within a period of at most 5 minutes from the onset of the stimulus to the conjugated polymer. The composite is capable of rapid volume change, may for example be used in an actuator in which the composite is controllable by electrical and/or chemical stimuli, and the strength of the composite is important. Further the invention relates to the use of a composite for the production of an actuator and an actuator comprising a composite as well as a process of causing a volume change in a composite comprising a conjugated polymer capable of changing redox-potential and an ion-sensitive gel capable of changing volume.