Abstract: The preparation process of ionic polymer-metal composite(IPMC) as artificial muscle includes three steps: the pre-treatment, and the primary and secondary chemical plating reactions. Properties of the specimens to which the number of secondary chemical plating reactions were done differently after primary ones were in contrast with each other. With a signal generator designed to actuate IPMC, a test platform based on PC and data acquisition card was built to test the actuating characteristic of prepared specimens and the influence of frequency and amplitude of exciting signal and plating thickness on the characteristic so as to provide reference for the design and control of IPMC. Testing results showed that the lower the resistance of IPMC plating and the frequency of exciting signal, the higher the voltage of exciting signal, the bigger the fluctuation range. Increasing the plating thickness will facilitate the decrease in IPMC's resistance, but the plating cannot be too thick because of the increasing hardness. Burnishing the plating will result in inhomogeneous electrode surface, thus increasing the resistance of IPMC and decreasing its activity.