Design of biomimetic human-skin-like tactile flexible sensor

Sensor Review ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-406
Author(s):  
Xiaozhou Lu ◽  
Xi Xie ◽  
Qiaobo Gao ◽  
Hanlun Hu ◽  
Jiayi Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Skin ◽  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Structure Design ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Lower Electrode ◽  
Pressure Sensing ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The hands of intelligent robots perceive external stimuli and respond effectively according to tactile or pressure sensors. However, the traditional tactile and pressure sensors cannot perform human-skin-like intelligent properties of high sensitivity, large measurement range, multi-function and flexibility simultaneously. The purpose of this paper is to present a flexible tactile-pressure sensor based on hyper-elastics polydimethylsiloxane and plate capacitance. Design/methodology/approach With regard to this problem, this paper presents a flexible tactile-pressure sensor based on hyper-elastics PDMS and plate capacitance. The sensor has a size of 10 mm × 10 mm × 1.3 mm and is composed of four upper electrodes, one middle driving electrode and one lower electrode. The authors first analyzed the structure and the tactile-pressure sensing principle of human skin to obtain the design parameters of the sensor. Then they presented the working principle, material selection and mechanical structure design and fabrication process of the sensor. The authors also fabricated several sample devices of the sensor and carried out experiments to establish the relationship between the sensor output and the pressure. Findings The results show that the tactile part of the sensor can measure a range of 0.05-1N/mm2 micro pressure with a sensitivity of 2.93 per cent/N and a linearity of 0.03 per cent. The pressure part of the sensor can measure a range of 1-30N/mm2 pressure with a sensitivity of 0.08 per cent/N and a linearity of 0.07 per cent. Originality/value This paper analyzes the tactile and pressure sensing principles of human skin and develop an intelligent sensitive human-skin-like tactile-pressure sensor for intelligent robot perception systems. The sensor can achieve to imitate the tactile and pressure function simultaneously with a measurement resolution of 0.01 N and a spatial resolution of 2 mm.

Static and Total Pressure Sensor Development Methodology based on Elastic Sensing Elements and Optical Rules

2021 ◽  
pp. 33-50
Author(s):  
R.A. Borisov ◽  
I.V. Antonets ◽  
A.V. Krotov
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Total Pressure ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Measurement Range ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Signal System ◽  
Digital Information

Information on the parameters of static atmospheric pressure and total pressure of the incoming air flow is the primary information in the air signal system, which is part of the integrated aircraft control system. This information makes it possible to calculate the altitude and speed of the aircraft for automated and automatic control. Static and total pressures are measured by aerometric parameter sensors, whose technical characteristics largely determine the range and values of the measurement accuracy of the air signal system. Relying on the requirements for aircraft flight safety and in accordance with the existing standards for horizontal and vertical separation, rather stringent requirements are imposed on the accuracy of air pressure measurement. Instrumental errors in measuring static and total air flow pressures with a probability of 0.95 should not exceed 0.02 and 0.05 % of the measurement range. The considered original aerometric pressure sensor based on an optical rule, whose high sensitivity requires minimal deformation of the elastic sensitive element, makes it possible to fulfill these requirements. The non-contact digital information retrieval and the operation of the information system under vacuum conditions significantly increased the efficiency of measurement processes. The paper focuses on an algorithm for calculating the main design parameters of elastic sensitive elements in almost the entire range of their standard sizes taking into account the technical capabilities of the secondary converter. The results of the experiments and experimental studies confirmed the sufficiency of theoretical methods for calculating the parameters of elastic elements for pressure sensors

A capacitive sensor using resin thermoplastic elastomer and carbon fibers for monitoring pressure distribution

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanzheng Wu ◽  
Siming Li ◽  
Jiayu Hu ◽  
Manchen Dong ◽  
Ke Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Carbon Fibers ◽  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Thermoplastic Elastomer ◽  
Gauge Factor ◽  
Capacitive Pressure Sensor ◽  
Wearable Electronics ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to study the working principle of the capacitive pressure sensor and explore the distribution of pressure acting on the surface of the capacitor. Herein, a kind of high sensitivity capacitive pressure sensor was prepared by overlaying carbon fibers (CFs) on the surfaces of the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), the TPE with high elasticity is a dielectric elastomer for the sensor and the CFs with excellent electrical conductivity were designed as the conductor. Design/methodology/approach Due to the excellent mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of CFs, it was designed as the conductor layer for the TPE/CFs capacitive pressure sensor via laminating CFs on the surfaces of the columnar TPE. Then, a ‘#' type structure of the capacitive pressure sensor was designed and fabricated. Findings The ‘#' type of capacitive pressure sensor of TPE/CFs composite was obtained in high sensitivity with a gauge factor of 2.77. Furthermore, the change of gauge factor values of the sensor under 10 per cent of applied strains was repeated for 1,000 cycles, indicating its outstanding sensing stability. Moreover, the ‘#' type capacitive pressure sensor of TPE/CFs was consisted of several capacitor arrays via laminating CFs, which could detect the distribution of pressure. Research limitations/implications The TPE/CFs capacitive pressure sensor was easily fabricated with high sensitivity and quick responsiveness, which is desirably applied in wearable electronics, robots, medical devices, etc. Originality/value The outcome of this study will help to fabricate capacitive pressure sensors with high sensitivity and outstanding sensing stability.

Design optimization of a high-sensitive absolute micro-pressure sensor

Sensor Review ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Yu ◽  
Yulong Zhao ◽  
Lili Li ◽  
Cun Li ◽  
Xiawei Meng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Structure Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Design And Optimization ◽  
Nonlinear Fitting ◽  
Silicon Bulk ◽  
Dynamic Performances

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to develop a piezoresistive absolute micro-pressure sensor for altimetry. For this application, both high sensitivity and high overload resistance are required. To develop a piezoresistive absolute micro-pressure sensor for altimetry, both high sensitivity and high-overload resistance are required. The structure design and optimization are critical for achieving the purpose. Besides, the study of dynamic performances is important for providing a solution to improve the accuracy under vibration environments. Design/methodology/approach – An improved structure is studied through incorporating sensitive beams into the twin-island-diaphragm structure. Equations about surface stress and deflection of the sensor are established by multivariate fittings based on the ANSYS simulation results. Structure dimensions are determined by MATLAB optimization. The silicon bulk micromachining technology is utilized to fabricate the sensor prototype. The performances under both static and dynamic conditions are tested. Findings – Compared with flat diaphragm and twin-island-diaphragm structures, the sensor features a relatively high sensitivity with the capacity of suffering atmosphere due to the introduction of sensitive beams and the optimization method used. Originality/value – An improved sensor prototype is raised and optimized for achieving the high sensitivity and the capacity of suffering atmosphere simultaneously. A general optimization method is proposed based on the multivariate fitting results. To simplify the calculation, a method to linearize the nonlinear fitting and optimization problems is presented. Moreover, a differential readout scheme attempting to decrease the dynamic interference is designed.

scholarly journals High Sensitivity Fiber Gas Pressure Sensor with Two Separated Fabry–Pérot Interferometers Based on the Vernier Effect

Photonics ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Xiaokang Song ◽  
Liangtao Hou ◽  
Xiangyu Wei ◽  
Hang Su ◽  
Chang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Single Mode ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Pressure Sensing ◽  
Fabry Perot ◽  
Inner Diameter ◽  
Vernier Effect ◽  
Micro Cavity

A high sensitivity optical fiber gas pressure sensor based on paralleled Fabry–Pérot interferometers (FPIs) was demonstrated. One micro-cavity FPI is used as a reference FPI (FPI-1) to generate a Vernier effect and the other FPI (FPI-2) is used as a sensing tip. Both FPIs are connected by a 3-dB coupler to form a paralleled structure. The FPI-1 was fabricated by fusion splicing a piece of hollow core fiber (HCF) between two sections of single-mode fibers (SMF), whereas FPI-2 was formed by fusion splicing a section of HCF between SMF and a piece of HCF with a slightly smaller inner diameter for sensing pressure. The gas pressure sensitivity was amplified from 4 nm/MPa of single FPI to 45.76 nm/MPa of paralleled FPIs with an amplification factor of 11.44 and a linearity of 99.9%. Compared with the traditional fiber gas pressure sensors, the proposed sensor showed great advantages in sensitivity, mechanical strength, cost, and temperature influence resistant, which has potential in adverse-circumstance gas pressure sensing.

CMOS-MEMS Based Current Mirror MOSFET Embedded Pressure Sensor for Healthcare and Biomedical Applications

2013 ◽  
Vol 647 ◽  
pp. 315-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradeep Kumar Rathore ◽  
Brishbhan Singh Panwar
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Circuit Simulation ◽  
Applied Pressure ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Cmos Technology ◽  
Current Mirror ◽  
Sensing Element ◽  
Pressure Sensing ◽  
Cmos Mems

This paper reports on the design and optimization of current mirror MOSFET embedded pressure sensor. A current mirror circuit with an output current of 1 mA integrated with a pressure sensing n-channel MOSFET has been designed using standard 5 µm CMOS technology. The channel region of the pressure sensing MOSFET forms the flexible diaphragm as well as the strain sensing element. The piezoresistive effect in MOSFET has been exploited for the calculation of strain induced carrier mobility variation. The output transistor of the current mirror forms the active pressure sensing MOSFET which produces a change in its drain current as a result of altered channel mobility under externally applied pressure. COMSOL Multiphysics is utilized for the simulation of pressure sensing structure and Tspice is employed to evaluate the characteristics of the current mirror pressure sensing circuit. Simulation results show that the pressure sensor has a sensitivity of 10.01 mV/MPa. The sensing structure has been optimized through simulation for enhancing the sensor sensitivity to 276.65 mV/MPa. These CMOS-MEMS based pressure sensors integrated with signal processing circuitry on the same chip can be used for healthcare and biomedical applications.

scholarly journals Complex conductivity reconstruction in multiple frequency electrical impedance tomography for fabric-based pressure sensor

Sensor Review ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.L. Yang ◽  
A. Mohammed ◽  
Y Mohamadou ◽  
T. I. Oh ◽  
M. Soleimani
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Impedance Tomography ◽  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Electrical Impedance ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Complex Impedance ◽  
Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy ◽  
Multiple Frequency ◽  
Impedance Tomography ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pressure Mapping

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to introduce and to evaluate the performance of a multiple frequency complex impedance reconstruction for fabric-based EIT pressure sensor. Pressure mapping is an important and challenging area of modern sensing technology. It has many applications in areas such as artificial skins in Robotics and pressure monitoring on soft tissue in biomechanics. Fabric-based sensors are being developed in conjunction with electrical impedance tomography (EIT) for pressure mapping imaging. This is potentially a very cost-effective pressure mapping imaging solution in particular for imaging large areas. Fabric-based EIT pressure sensors aim to provide a pressure mapping image using current carrying and voltage sensing electrodes attached on the boundary of the fabric patch. Design/methodology/approach – Recently, promising results are being achieved in conductivity imaging for these sensors. However, the fabric structure presents capacitive behaviour that could also be exploited for pressure mapping imaging. Complex impedance reconstructions with multiple frequencies are implemented to observe both conductivity and permittivity changes due to the pressure applied to the fabric sensor. Findings – Experimental studies on detecting changes of complex impedance on fabric-based sensor are performed. First, electrical impedance spectroscopy on a fabric-based sensor is performed. Secondly, the complex impedance tomography is carried out on fabric and compared with traditional EIT tank phantoms. Quantitative image quality measures are used to evaluate the performance of a fabric-based sensor at various frequencies and against the tank phantom. Originality/value – The paper demonstrates for the first time the useful information on pressure mapping imaging from the permittivity component of fabric EIT. Multiple frequency EIT reconstruction reveals spectral behaviour of the fabric-based EIT, which opens up new opportunities in exploration of these sensors.

scholarly journals High-Performance Resistive Pressure Sensor Based on Elastic Composite Hydrogel of Silver Nanowires and Poly(ethylene glycol)

Micromachines ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngsang Ko ◽  
Dabum Kim ◽  
Goomin Kwon ◽  
Jungmok You
Keyword(s):  
Composite Material ◽  
Ethylene Glycol ◽  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Silver Nanowires ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Composite Hydrogel ◽  
Poly Ethylene Glycol ◽  
Pressure Sensing ◽  
Poly Ethylene

Improved pressure sensing is of great interest to enable the next-generation of bioelectronics systems. This paper describes the development of a transparent, flexible, highly sensitive pressure sensor, having a composite sandwich structure of elastic silver nanowires (AgNWs) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). A simple PEG photolithography was employed to construct elastic AgNW-PEG composite patterns on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. A porous PEG hydrogel structure enabled the use of conductive AgNW patterns while maintaining the elasticity of the composite material, features that are both essential for high-performance pressure sensing. The transparency and electrical properties of AgNW-PEG composite could be precisely controlled by varying the AgNW concentration. An elastic AgNW-PEG composite hydrogel with 0.6 wt % AgNW concentration exhibited high transmittance including T550nm of around 86%, low sheet resistance of 22.69 Ω·sq−1, and excellent bending durability (only 5.8% resistance increase under bending to 10 mm radius). A flexible resistive pressure sensor based on our highly transparent AgNW-PEG composite showed stable and reproducible response, high sensitivity (69.7 kPa−1), low sensing threshold (~2 kPa), and fast response time (20–40 ms), demonstrating the effectiveness of the AgNW-PEG composite material as an elastic conductor.

Design, development and performance evaluation of pressure sensor using eddy current displacement sensing coil

Sensor Review ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-258
Author(s):  
Gobi K. ◽  
Kannapiran B. ◽  
Devaraj D. ◽  
Valarmathi K.
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Eddy Current ◽  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Strain Gauge ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Calibration Data ◽  
Position Measurement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Type Pressure

Purpose The conventional strain gauge type pressure sensor suffers in static testing of engines due to the contact transduction method. This paper aims to focus on the concept of non-contact transduction-based pressure sensor using eddy current displacement sensing coil (ECDS) to overcome the temperature limitations of the strain gauge type pressure sensor. This paper includes the fabrication of prototypes of the proposed pressure sensor and its performance evaluation by static calibration. The fabricated pressure sensor is proposed to measure pressure in static test environment for a short period in the order of few seconds. The limitations of the fabricated pressure sensor related to temperature problems are highlighted and the suitable design changes are recommended to aid the future design. Design/methodology/approach The design of ECDS-based pressure sensor is aimed to provide non-contact transduction to overcome the limitations of the strain gauge type of pressure sensor. The ECDS is designed and fabricated with two configurations to measure deflection of the diaphragm corresponding to the applied pressure. The fabricated ECDS is calibrated using a standard micro meter to ensure transduction within limits. The fabricated prototypes of pressure sensors are calibrated using dead weight tester, and the calibration results are analyzed to select the best configuration. The proposed pressure sensor is tested at different temperatures, and the test results are analyzed to provide recommendations to overcome the shortcomings. Findings The performance of the different configurations of the pressure sensor using ECDS is evaluated using the calibration data. The analysis of the calibration results indicates that the pressure sensor using ECDS (coil-B) with the diaphragm as target is the best configuration. The accuracy of the fabricated pressure sensor with best configuration is ±2.8 per cent and the full scale (FS) output is 3.8 KHz. The designed non-contact transduction method extends the operating temperature of the pressure sensor up to 150°C with the specified accuracy for the short period. Originality/value Most studies of eddy current sensing coil focus on the displacement and position measurement but not on the pressure measurement. This paper is concerned with the design of the pressure sensor using ECDS to realize the non-contact transduction to overcome the limitations of strain gauge type pressure sensors and evaluation of the fabricated prototypes. It is shown that the accuracy of the proposed pressure sensor is not affected by the high temperature for the short period due to non-contact transduction using ECDS.

Highly responsive screen-printed asymmetric pressure sensor based on laser-induced graphene

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiang Zhao ◽  
Jiahao Gui ◽  
Jinsong Luo ◽  
Jing Gao ◽  
Caidong Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Screen Printing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Wearable Electronics ◽  
Integrated Sensor ◽  
Patterned Electrodes ◽  
Screen Printed

Abstract Graphene-based pressure sensors have received extensive attention in wearable devices. However, reliable, low-cost, and large-scale preparation of structurally stable graphene electrodes for flexible pressure sensors is still a challenge. Herein, for the first time, laser-induced graphene (LIG) powder are prepared into screen printing ink, and shape-controllable LIG patterned electrodes can be obtained on various substrates using a facile screen printing process, and a novel asymmetric pressure sensor composed of the resulting screen-printed LIG electrodes has been developed. Benefit from the 3D porous structure of LIG, the as-prepared flexible LIG screen-printed asymmetric pressure sensor has super sensing properties with a high sensitivity of 1.86 kPa−1, low detection limit of about 3.4 Pa, short response time, and long cycle durability. Such excellent sensing performances give our flexible asymmetric LIG screen-printed pressure sensor the ability to realize real-time detection of tiny body physiological movements (such as wrist pulse and pronunciation action). Besides, the integrated sensor array has a multi-touch function. This work could stimulate an appropriate approach to designing shape-controllable LIG screen-printed patterned electrodes on various flexible substrates to adapt the specific needs of fulfilling compatibility and modular integration for potential application prospects in wearable electronics.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document