Electroactive polymer actuators stimulated by appropriate levels of electric field are particularly attractive
for human-assist devices such as Braille. The development of a full page refreshable Braille display
is very important for the integration of the visually impaired into the new era of communication. In
this paper, development of a compact dielectric elastomer actuator suitable for Braille application is
reported. The actuators are fabricated from commercially available silicone tubes. The tube has been
rendered mechanically anisotropic through asymmetric levels of applied pretension in circumferential
and axial directions in order to direct the actuation strain in the axial direction of the actuator. Key performance
parameters, such as displacement, force, and response time of the actuator are investigated.
The test results demonstrate the potential of the compact, lightweight, and low cost dielectric elastomer
as actuators for a refreshable full page Braille display