Biologically powered electroactive polymer generators

A generator for converting biologically-generated mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:

• i) one or more transducers, each transducer comprising:
• at least two electrodes;
• and
• a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
• ii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers;
• and
• iii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive the biologically-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said biologically-generated mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the biologically generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer wherein during operation at the generator the portion of the polymer is deflected, said deflection resulting in a change in surface area of the portion of the portion of the polymer, such that at a first time the portion of the polymer has a first surface area and at a second time the portion of the polymer has a second surface area and wherein the second surface area is at least about 10% greater than or is at least about 10% less than the first surface area.

A generator for converting mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion to electrical energy, the generator comprising:

• i) one or more transducers mounted in footwear, each transducer comprising;
• at least two electrodes;
• and
• a polymer arranged in a mariner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer wherein the electrodes are in electrical communication with the polymer;
• ii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer;
• and
• iii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to provide charge to the at least two electrodes when the portion of the polymer is deflected to a first position and to withdraw charge fern the at least two electrodes when the polymer is deflected to the second position.

A generator for converting mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion to electrical energy, the generator comprising:

• i) one or more transducers mounted in footwear, each transducer comprising;
• at least two electrodes;
• and
• a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
• ii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer;
• and
• iii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers wherein during operation of the generator the portion of the polymer is deflected said deflection resulting in a change in surface area of the portion of the portion of the polymer, such that at a first time the portion of the polymer has a first surface area and at a second time the portion of the polymer has a second surface area and wherein the second surface area is at least about 10% greater than or is at least about 10% less than the first surface area.

A generator for converting environmentally-generated mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:

• one or more transducers, each transducer comprising;
• at least two electrodes;
• and
• a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer wherein the electrodes are in electrical communication with the polymer;
• conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to provide charge to the at least two electrodes when the portion of the polymer is deflected to a first position and to withdraw charge from the at least two electrodes when the polymer is deflected to a second position;
• and
• one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive environmentally-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said environmentally-generated mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the environmentally generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer the environmentally generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer.

A device for converting between electrical energy and mechanical energy, the device comprising:

• i) at least one transducer, each transducer comprising:
• at least two electrodes, and
• a polymer in electrical communication with said at least two electrodes in a manner that supports one of electrical generation and mechanical actuation;
• ii) a first member having a proximate end coupled to a first regional said transducer and a distal end;
• and
• iii) a second member having a proximate end coupled to a second region of said transducer and a distal end coupled to the distal end of the first member,
• wherein deflection of the polymer along a piano causes the proximate ends of said first and second members to translate along said plane and causes said distal ends of said first and second members to translate together in a direction that is not coplanar with said plane.

A generator for convening between electrical energy and mechanical energy, the generator comprising:

• i) at least one transducer, each transducer comprising:
• at least two electrodes, and
• a polymer in electrical communication with said at least two electrodes in a manner that supports one of electrical generation and mechanical actuation;
• ii) a first member having a proximate end coupled to a first region of said transducer and a distal end;
• and
• iii) a second member having a proximate end coupled to a second region of said transducer and a distal end coupled to the distal end of the first member,
• wherein deflection of the polymer along a plane causes the proximate ends of said first and second members to translate along said plane and causes said distal ends of said first and second members to translate together in a direction that is not coplanar with said plane
• iv) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electronics and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy and the one or more transducers;
• and
• v) one or more transmission mechanisms that are desired or configured to receive biologically-generated or environmentally-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer.

A generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:

• i) one or more transducers, each transducer comprising:
• at least two electrodes;
• and
• a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer wherein the electrodes are in electrical communication with the polymer;
• ii) charge control circuitry connected to said at least two electrodes and designed or configured to provide charge to the at least two electrodes when the portion of the polymer is deflected to a first position and to withdraw charge from the at least two electrodes when the polymer is deflected to a second position;
• and
• iii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer.

A method for using an electroactive polymer transducer which comprises an electroactive polymer and at least two electrodes in electrical communication with the electroactive polymer, the method comprising:

• mechanically deflecting a portion of the polymer to a first position;
• providing charge to the at least two electrodes in electrical communication with the polymer;
• mechanically deflecting the portion from the first position to a second position;
• and
• withdrawing charge from the at least two electrodes after deflection of the portion from the from the first position.

A generator for converting mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion to electrical energy, the generator comprising:

• i) one or more transducers mounted in footwear, each transducer comprising;
• at least two electrodes;
• and
• a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer, wherein the polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa;
• ii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of die polymer wherein said transmission mechanism includes a container filled with a fluid or a gel and wherein said container is designed or configured to transfer the portion of said mechanical energy;
• and
• iii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers.

A generator for converting mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion to electrical energy, the generator comprising:

• i) one or more transducers mounted in footwear, each transducer comprising;
• at least two electrodes;
• and
• a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer, wherein the polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa
• one or mote support structures attached to the polymer to form one or more diaphragms;
• ii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer;
• and
• iii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers.

A generator for converting biologically-generated mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:

• i) one or more transducers, each transducer comprising:
• at least two electrodes;
• and
• a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer wherein the electrodes are in electrical communication with the polymer;
• ii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers;
• and
• iii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive the biologically-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said biologically-generated mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the biologically generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer wherein the one or more transmission mechanisms comprises a fluid designed or configured to transfer the portion of the biologically-generated mechanical energy to the polymer.