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An image processing system for the measurement of small movements of synthetic IPMC materials is presented in this work. The proposed technique is based on extracting the appropriate information from subsequent pictures-frames. Since the time-difference between these pictures is known, it is possiblefor the system to calculate both displacements and speed of the moving part. The processing algorithm implements a fully automated procedure for the localization ofthe point ofinterest (i.e. the edge of a micro-robotic wing) in every frame and then calculates the distance (displacement) between subsequent frames. This method is particularly usefulfor rather large movements ofthe IPMC strips as found in micro-robotic applications. The results obtained by the proposed system are also compared with concurrent measurements by a high accuracy laser positioning system, and have been found quite satisfactory for the specific application (resolution better than 0. 5mm)

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Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) produce large bending motions under a low driving voltage and can be used in underwater applications. In this work, the control ofionic polymer metal composite actuators is investigated from a practical perspective. The control ofIPMC is important in many processes and applications including underwater applications. This work develops an approach for model reference control of IPMCs. The main idea is to settle the behavior of IPMC adjustable from reference model. This strategy is demonstrated on an experimental rig using real time control. Experimental results confirm that a reference control of the IPMC is achievable.

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