Modeling, Control and Self-sensing of Dielectric Elastomer Soft Actuators: A Review

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Zhao, Y., Meng, G.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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author Zhao, Y.
Meng, G.
author_facet Zhao, Y.
Meng, G.
contents Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have garnered extensive attention especially in soft robotic applications over the past few decades owing to the advantages of lightweight, large strain, fast response and high energy density. However, because the DEAs suffer from nonlinear elasticity, inherent viscoelastic creep, hysteresis and vibrational dynamics, the modeling, control and self-sensing of DEAs are challenging, thereby hindering the practical applications of DEAs. In order to address these challenges, numerous studies have been conducted. In this review, various physics-based modeling methods and phenomenological modeling methods for predicting the electromechanical response of DEAs are presented and discussed. Different control methods for DEAs are reviewed, which are classified into open-loop feedforward control, feedback control, feedforward-feedback control and adaptive feedforward control. Physics-based self-sensing methods and data-driven self-sensing methods for reconstructing the DEA displacement without the need for additional sensors are discussed. Finally, the existing problems and new opportunities for the further studies are summarized.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_17199
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Modeling, Control and Self-sensing of Dielectric Elastomer Soft Actuators: A Review
Zhao, Y.
Meng, G.
Robotics
Systems and Control
Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have garnered extensive attention especially in soft robotic applications over the past few decades owing to the advantages of lightweight, large strain, fast response and high energy density. However, because the DEAs suffer from nonlinear elasticity, inherent viscoelastic creep, hysteresis and vibrational dynamics, the modeling, control and self-sensing of DEAs are challenging, thereby hindering the practical applications of DEAs. In order to address these challenges, numerous studies have been conducted. In this review, various physics-based modeling methods and phenomenological modeling methods for predicting the electromechanical response of DEAs are presented and discussed. Different control methods for DEAs are reviewed, which are classified into open-loop feedforward control, feedback control, feedforward-feedback control and adaptive feedforward control. Physics-based self-sensing methods and data-driven self-sensing methods for reconstructing the DEA displacement without the need for additional sensors are discussed. Finally, the existing problems and new opportunities for the further studies are summarized.
title Modeling, Control and Self-sensing of Dielectric Elastomer Soft Actuators: A Review
topic Robotics
Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.17199