The armwrestling match of EAP robotic arm against human (AMERAH) is a challenge posed by Yoseph Bar-Cohen of the JPL in 1999.
The initial challenge is to create a simple human-like robotic arm which, using electroactive polymers (EAP) as artificial muscles, can beat a human opponent (e.g., a high school student) in an arm wrestling match.
The competition aims to stimulate research in the field of electroactive polymers, as well as arouse interest both in the general public and among potential investors.
The first trial was held on March 7, 2005, at the International Society for Optical Engineering's (SPIE) 2005 Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) conference in San Diego, California.
Three teams entered robotic contestants: The human opponent was Panna Felsen, a straight-A high school student from the San Diego school district with an interest in robotics.