Abstract
Dielectric elastomer (DE) sensors have been widely used in a wide variety of applications, such as in robotic hands, wearable sensors, rehabilitation devices, etc. A unique dielectric elastomer-based multimodal capacitive sensor has been developed to quantify the pressure and the location of any touch simultaneously. This multimodal sensor is a soft, flexible, and stretchable dielectric elastomer (DE) capacitive pressure mat that is composed of a multi-layer soft and stretchy DE sensor. The top layer measures the applied pressure, while the underlying sensor array enables location identification. The sensor is placed on a passive elastomeric substrate in order to increase deformation and optimize the sensor’s sensitivity. This DE multimodal capacitive sensor, with pressure and localization capability, paves the way for further development with potential applications in bio-mechatronics technology and other humanoid devices. The sensor design could be useful for robotic and other applications, such as fruit picking or as a bio-instrument for the diabetic insole.
Highlights
Sensing is an essential function for the proprioception of any artificial system
The ability to measure force or pressure and map the force/pressure location increases the capability of these systems, including those applied to robotics
Le et al [9] developed a multimodal tactile sensor to measure the force on a Robotiq gripper, and Zhao et al [12] used a multifunctional sensor for static and dynamic strain mapping by measuring the capacitance change, while Sun et al [13] used current to identify. This soft multimodal capacitive sensor developed in this work aims to mimic the basic properties of human skin
Summary
Sensing is an essential function for the proprioception of any artificial system. The ability to measure force or pressure and map the force/pressure location increases the capability of these systems, including those applied to robotics. A sensor, with which the pressure can be quantified and the location can be mapped, can have many applications, such as object identification, wearable keyboard, etc. It can be used, for example, as a clinical measurement mat to help foot exercise treatments for diabetic patients with ulcerated feet. DE capacitive sensors have been used in many applications to detect pressure, strain, and touch. The capacitance changes when the sensing area is touched. Jin et al [3]
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