Flexible Sensors: Tactile Sensing and Ultra Sensitive Pressure Sensing
- Composite of silicone rubber and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
- Mechanically flexible and electrically conductive
- Mechanical deformation à electrical resistance change
- Tactile sensing for artificial skin or robotic hands/fingers
- 2-dimensional sensor configuration
- Ultra sensitive pressure sensing with a thin rubber diaphragm
- < 10 Pa pressure measurement, or approximately 3 ft of altitude change
Preliminary demonstration of tactile sensing
Applications
- Ultra sensitive pressure sensing
- Tactile sensors for robotic and biomedical devices; wearable biomedical sensors
Deflected diaphragm at ultra low pressure difference (left) and measured data (right)
Current Status
- Demonstration of several different sensors
- Patent issued; on-going research; work published