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Developments in industry and academia bring exciting new functionalities to conventional rubber materials

The capability of elastomeric materials to act as electronic sensors and to self-heal is driving innovate research and partnerships in the rubber industry.

Toyoda Gosei, for instance, this month exhibited its next-generation ‘e-rubber’ materials for dielectric actuators and sensors at a sports business expo in Japan.

Displays included soft e-rubber actuators that offer a next-generation power source in place of electromagnetic motors and soft, tactile/pressure sensors.

The company also showed ideas to attach lightweight sensors to sports shoes and other sporting goods.

The e-rubber parts were said to be resistant to impact, lightweight, and soft and could, for example, be attached to shoe insoles.

In another interesting display, Toyoda Gosei showed how vibrations in a balloon filled with water could be remotely transferred on to the surface of another balloon without water – a technology being jointly developed with Keio University.

French rubber and plastics parts maker Hutchinson has, meanwhile, announced a partnership with the WIMS2 (Wireless Integrated MicroSensing and Systems) centre, affiliated with the University of Michigan.

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