Abstract
This article presents a sensor for detecting the distribution of forces on a surface. The device with nine buttons consisted of an elastomer-based layer as a touch interface resting on a substrate of patterned metallized paper. The elastomer-based layer included a three-by-three array of deformable, hemispherical elements/reliefs, facing down toward an array of interdigitated capacitive sensing units on patterned metallized paper. Each hemispherical element is 20 mm in diameter and 8 mm in height. When a user applied pressure to the elastomer-based layer, the contact area between the hemispherical elements and the interdigitated capacitive sensing units increased with the deformation of the hemispherical elements. To enhance the sensitivity of the sensors, embedded particles of hydrogel in the elastomer-based layer increased the measured electrical responses. The measured capacitance increased because the effective dielectric permittivity of the hydrogel was greater than that of air. Electromechanical characterization verified that the hydrogel-filled elastomer was more sensitive to force at a low range of loads (23.4 pF/N) than elastomer alone without embedded hydrogel (3.4 pF/N), as the hydrogel reduced the effective elastic modulus of the composite material by a factor of seven. A simple demonstration suggests that the force-sensing array has the potential to contribute to wearable and soft robotic devices.
Highlights
This article describes the design, fabrication and experimental characterization of a force-sensing transducer made of metallized paper, elastomer and hydrogel for skin-like sensors
When fully compressed at 2.4 mm, the results suggest that the hydrogel particles provided a modest enhancement of the electric field between the interdigitated electrodes of the material, as the normalized capacitance (~2.6) with the composite buttons was higher than that
The device consisted of an elastomeric soft shell embedded with hydrogel particles and a metallizedpaper-based capacitive scanning array
Summary
This article describes the design, fabrication and experimental characterization of a force-sensing transducer made of metallized paper, elastomer and hydrogel for skin-like sensors. An ideal skin-like tactile sensor might be flexible, scalable, capable of detecting force/pressure and provide protection. The complexity stemmed from the need to embed flexible transistor- or oscillator-based circuits in strain-sensitive materials As a result, these issues appear to limit the size of state-of-the-art synthetic skin (i.e., areas no larger than 300 mm by 300 mm). The device presented in this work is simple with the outer soft layer fabricated by molding/casting and the passive capacitive scanning circuits patterned on a paper-based substrate. The prototypes demonstrated a method of creating hybrid devices with molded/cast elastomers and paper-based substrates for future force-sensing, skin-like sensors
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
