An element including: a first electrode; an intermediate layer made of a silicone rubber composition containing a silicone rubber; and a second electrode, where the first electrode, the intermediate layer, and the second electrode are disposed in this order, wherein a peak intensity ratio (1095±5 cm.sup.−1/1025±5 cm.sup.−1) of an infrared absorption spectrum of the intermediate layer varies along a vertical direction relative to a surface of the first electrode, and to a surface of the second electrode.

Emergency stop pressure sensors 17 are installed on both side surfaces of a movable link 11 of a robot arm 14 of an assembly robot. When a worker S unintentionally walks in a swing range Ra of the robot arm 14 and contacts the emergency stop pressure sensor 17, a detection signal is transmitted to a control unit 19, and the control unit 19 shuts power transmission to a driving source swinging the robot arm. The emergency stop pressure sensor 17 has a first electrode and a second electrode constituting a pair of electrodes and an intermediate layer formed of rubber or a rubber composition, which is disposed between the pair of electrodes, the intermediate layer generating power upon deformation caused by contact with a contacted body (the worker). A side of the intermediate layer in a laminate direction undergoes surface modification treatment and/or inactivation treatment. With this treatment, the one side and the other side of the intermediate layer have different degrees of deformation to the same deformation adding force.

A touch-sensitive assembly and method of making includes a first electrically conductive layer disposed on a first substrate and a second electrically conductive layer disposed on a second substrate. A piezoelectric film is disposed between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer. The piezoelectric film includes a plurality of aligned piezoelectric particles disposed in a polymeric matrix and is characterized by a haze value of about 5% or less.

Self-aligned liquid crystal materials and structures are disclosed. The structures can exhibit piezoelectric and flexoelectric properties.

A dielectric elastomer actuator comprising: a plurality of polymer layer; a plurality of stretchable electrode layers, each polymer layer being sandwiched between two electrode layers so as to control the electric field within the polymer layer; at least one stretchable charge distribution layer, each charge distribution layer being adjacent to one stretchable electrode layer and/or to one polymer layer.

A stretchable temperature sensor includes one or more elastomeric ionic conducting layers; at least two electronic conducting elements, wherein the one or more ionic conducting layers and one or more electronic conducting elements are configured and arranged to provide at least one electrical double layer at a first contact area between the ionic conducting layer and a first electronic conducting element in a sensing end and at least one electrical double layer at a contact area between the ionic conducting layer and a second electronic conducting element in an open end of the temperature sensor; wherein the second electronic conducting element provides a connection at the open end to an external circuit for measuring a signal generated in response to a temperature condition at the sensing end.

An object of the present invention is to provide a piezoelectric film capable of realizing an electroacoustic conversion film or the like in which the durability is high and a sufficient sound pressure with respect to an input operating voltage is obtained. The object is achieved by providing a piezoelectric film including a polymer-based piezoelectric composite material which contains piezoelectric particles in a matrix containing a polymer material, and electrode layers which are provided on both surfaces of the polymer-based piezoelectric composite material, in which in a case where a cross section of the film in a thickness direction is observed with a scanning electron microscope, the polymer-based piezoelectric composite material is divided into ten equal regions in the thickness direction, area ratios of the piezoelectric particles in two most distant regions are measured, and the area ratio of the piezoelectric particles in the region with a lower area ratio is set as 1, the area ratio of the piezoelectric particles in the region with a higher area ratio is 1.2 or greater.

Provided is an energy conversion film excellent in charge retention performance and suppressed in deterioration of piezoelectricity even if it is exposed to a high temperature environment and an energy conversion element and the like using the film. An energy conversion element comprising: an energy conversion film at least comprises a charged resin film consisting of a resin film at least containing a thermoplastic resin and a metal soap; and an electrode provided on at least one of the two surfaces of the energy conversion film.

A grip detection sensor that includes: a piezoelectric film having a first main surface and a second main surface, either one of the first main surface and the second main surface being disposed at least partly on a periphery of a linearly shaped flexible object, a first electrode on the first main surface, a second electrode on the second main surface, and a spacer configured to maintain a space between the object and the piezoelectric film.

A polymer thin film includes polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and is characterized by a Young's modulus along an in-plane dimension of at least 4 GPa, an electromechanical coupling factor (k.sub.31) of at least 0.1 at room temperature. A method of manufacturing such a polymer thin film may include forming a polymer composition into a polymer thin film, applying a tensile stress to the polymer thin film along at least one in-plane direction and in an amount effective to induce a stretch ratio of at least approximately 5 in the polymer thin film, and applying an electric field across a thickness dimension of the polymer thin film. Annealing and poling steps may separately or simultaneously accompany and/or follow the act of stretching of the polymer thin film.