A piezoresistive tactile sensor based on carbon fibers and polymer substrates

Abstract

This paper presents a new structure of a flexible tactile sensor that uses carbon fibers as the sensing elements. The principal concept is the replacement of piezoresistors in the current, piezoresistive, tactile sensors with carbon fibers. Owing to the replacement of piezoresistors with carbon fibers, several advantageous characteristics of the fibers can be fully utilized in the measurement of contact forces. The micro-machined, piezoresistive, tactile sensor array has been successfully fabricated by the use of a polymer MEMS process. The response of the integrated CFs to a normal stress loading was also experimentally evaluated by the use of a motorized XYZ stage and an optical microscope.