A flexible tactile sensor integrated with carbon black/carbon nanotube composite film and flexible printed circuit

Abstract

In this study, two kinds of composite films, carbon black (CB) and carbon nanotube (CNT) composite films, were fabricated and integrated with flexible printed circuit (FPC) for the flexible tactile sensor. CB and CNT with high compressive strength and low resistivity were immersed into the tissue paper as the sensing materials. The flexible tactile sensors were fabricated by sandwiching the CB/CNT composite film with FPC between two thin polydimethylsiloxane sheets. The tactile sensor is operated by the contact resistance change between CB/CNT composite film and FPC electrode by the different applied force. The measurements of the sensitivity, response time and stability of the fabricated tactile sensors were carried out. The fabricated CB composite film tactile sensor exhibits the sensitivity of 5.05 × 10−2 kPa−1 in the range below 20 kN m−2, the response time of 10 ms, and with the high stability of the loading and unloading pressure.