Basic study on electro-adhesive surface applying 3-dimensional micro structures

Electro Adhesive Gel (EAG) has the unique characteristic of changing its surface adhesive property with the intensity of the electrical field applied. This propertymakes EAG useful in applications to fixing devices and mechanical brakes. Although its adhesion performance depends on the distribution of the electrorheological particles in the EAG, it is difficult to arrange the particle distribution uniformly in a wide area from the perspective of production process. In this study, a novel functional elastomer that has the same function as EAG is developed, Electro Adhesive Surface (EAS). In EAS, micro photolithography is used to fabricate strut pyramids distributed uniformly on a substrate, and then silicone gel is poured into the structure. When an electrical field is applied, the silicone gel rises to the tops of the pyramids formed by the struts, and adhesion occurs to an object on EAS. To determine a micro structure design for EAS, the fixing force was measured with various struts diameter and gaps. Experimental result shows that the larger struts diameter and the narrower gaps enhance the fixing force of EAS.