Dielectric motors with electrically conducting rotating drive shafts and vehicles using same

A motor comprising:

• a support framework including a sleeve with a sleeve longitudinal axis and sleeve base;
• a rolled electroactive polymer device having a pair of input electrodes and configured to deform substantively only parallel to a roll longitudinal axis upon application of an electric potential difference across the pair of input electrodes, said electroactive polymer device disposed in the sleeve with the roll longitudinal axis aligned with the sleeve longitudinal axis;
• and
• a crankshaft rotatably mounted to the support framework,
• wherein a first portion of the rolled electroactive polymer device pushes against the sleeve base and a second, different portion of the rolled electroactive polymer device is mechanically connected to a crank pin of the crankshaft, whereby deformation of the rolled electroactive polymer device causes the crankshaft to rotate with respect to the support framework.

A motor comprising:

• a support framework;
• a shaft having a longitudinal shaft rotation axis, said shaft rotatably mounted to the support framework and including an arm that encloses a position substantively offset from the shaft axis;
• and
• an electroactive polymer assembly comprising
• a pair of structures joined at a pivot joint, and
• a rolled electroactive polymer device having a pair of input electrodes and configured to deform substantively only parallel to a roll longitudinal axis upon application of an electric potential difference across the pair of input electrodes, each of two longitudinally opposite ends of said electroactive polymer device connected to a corresponding structure of the pair of structures;
• wherein deformation of the rolled electroactive polymer device causes a first structure of the pair of structures to exert a force against the support framework and a different second structure of the pair of structures to exert a force against the arm of the shaft at a position substantively offset from the shaft axis, whereby the shaft rotates about the shaft axis with respect to the support framework.