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Strain and Pressure Sensors Based on MWCNT/PDMS for Human Motion/Perception Detection

Xin Zhao Orcid Logo, Dong Mei Orcid Logo, Gangqiang Tang Orcid Logo, Chun Zhao, Jianfeng Wang, Minzhou Luo, Lijie Li Orcid Logo, Yanjie Wang

Polymers, Volume: 15, Issue: 6, Start page: 1386

Swansea University Author: Lijie Li Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/polym15061386

Abstract

Flexible wearable devices have attracted wide attention in capacious fields because of their real-time and continuous monitoring of human information. The development of flexible sensors and corresponding integration with wearable devices is of great significance to build smart wearable devices. In...

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Published in: Polymers
ISSN: 2073-4360
Published: MDPI AG 2023
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63092
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Abstract: Flexible wearable devices have attracted wide attention in capacious fields because of their real-time and continuous monitoring of human information. The development of flexible sensors and corresponding integration with wearable devices is of great significance to build smart wearable devices. In this work, multi-walled carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane-based (MWCNT/PDMS) resistive strain sensors and pressure sensors were developed to integrate a smart glove for human motion/perception detection. Firstly, MWCNT/PDMS conductive layers with excellent electrical and mechanical properties (resistivity of 2.897 KΩ · cm, elongation at break of 145%) were fabricated via a facile scraping-coating method. Then, a resistive strain sensor with a stable homogeneous structure was developed due to the similar physicochemical properties of the PDMS encapsulation layer and MWCNT/PDMS sensing layer. The resistance changes of the prepared strain sensor exhibited a great linear relationship with the strain. Moreover, it could output obvious repeatable dynamic response signals. It still had good cyclic stability and durability after 180° bending/restoring cycles and 40% stretching/releasing cycles. Secondly, MWCNT/PDMS layers with bioinspired spinous microstructures were formed by a simple sandpaper retransfer process and then assembled face-to-face into a resistive pressure sensor. The pressure sensor presented a linear relationship of relative resistance change and pressure in the range of 0–31.83 KPa with a sensitivity of 0.026 KPa−1, and a sensitivity of 2.769 × 10−4 KPa−1 over 32 KPa. Furthermore, it responded quickly and kept good cycle stability at 25.78 KPa dynamic loop over 2000 s. Finally, as parts of a wearable device, resistive strain sensors and a pressure sensor were then integrated into different areas of the glove. The cost-effective, multi-functional smart glove can recognize finger bending, gestures, and external mechanical stimuli, which holds great potential in the fields of medical healthcare, human-computer cooperation, and so on.
Keywords: MWCNT/PDMS; pressure sensor; smart glove; strain sensor; wearable devices.
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Funders: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (51975184), the Changzhou Sci &Tech Program (CE20215051), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2020YFB1312900). The authors gratefully acknowledge the supports.
Issue: 6
Start Page: 1386