Background of the study
The ability of materials to respond to external stimulations is always considered useful and
has broad applications. Dielectric elastomer falls in the "smart material" category. However, one
limitation of DE is that, the low modulus of the material cannot provide enough support to the
applied load. The high driving field has to be applied at all times to keep the large strain
generated. Current will be constantly drain from the external power source. Also there will be
safety concerns when used in consumer electronics. Bistable electroactive polymer (BSEP) is
developed to provide a solution to this problem. A BSEP is a multifunctional polymer material
that combines the electrically induced large strain actuation of dielectric elastomers and the
bistable deformation of shape memory polymers. BSEP may find applications in tactile displays,
adaptive structures, and biologically-inspired robots.[118–120]