EAP actuators and devices are enabling many new technologies from smart wearables to soft robots. They have the pliability, low density, and the capacity for the large active displacements required for biomimetic and other mechanically flexible systems. Of particular interest is their potential to augment, improve upon, and possibly replace biological muscles. Besides their attractive characteristics as actuators, they are also being exploited to enable new types of soft generators or sensors. Development of effective and robust EAP mechanisms and devices requires improved theoretical and empirical understanding of their behavior, design concepts for efficient actuation, generation and sensing, and reliable and repeatable fabrication and characterization methods, as well as effective control algorithms and electronics. The objective of this conference is to identify the latest EAP device and material developments and improvements: enhance the understanding of their material behavior, including effective modeling of their electro-mechanics and chemistry, cover techniques of processing and characterization, and highlight new device applications. Further, this conference is seeking to promote the development of high performance EAP as smart materials and to increase the recognition of EAP as viable options for use in smart structures.

Papers are solicited on but not limited to the following EAP related topics: · advances in actuation, sensing, energy harvesting and proprioception using EAP devices

·advances in EAP materials

·theoretical models, analysis, and simulation including computational chemistry

·measurement, testing, and characterization methods

·manufacturing technologies, including printing, electroding, synthesis, processing, shaping, and fabrication

·design and engineering of actuators, sensors, and their integration into systems

·technology from miniature scale (MEMS, micro, and nano) to large devices

·applications inartificial muscles, robotics, biomimetics, energy harvesting, medical, industry, etc.


·driving electronics, system integration, and packaging


·control algorithms for devices and their implementation in software and hardware.