Journal article
Assemblies of Microfluidic Channels and Micropillars Facilitate Sensitive and Compliant Tactile Sensing
IEEE sensors journal, v 16(24), pp 8908-8915
15 Dec 2016
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Recent advances in soft electronics are enabling new devices that can stretch and conform to curved, soft, or dynamic surfaces, whether in engineering systems or the human body. However, the close coupling of mechanical and electronic behavior in these devices can limit performance and introduce artifacts. In order to mitigate negative effects, and to facilitate greater control over mechanical and electronic performance, we present a method for designing soft tactile sensors based on multi-layer heterogeneous 3D structures that combine active layers, containing embedded liquid metal electrodes, with passive and mechanically tunable layers, containing air cavities and micropillar array geometric supports. The assembled devices consist of thin membranes that integrate arrays of tactile sensors with 2-mm spatial resolution. They are produced using a soft lithography fabrication method based on the casting, alignment, and fusion of multiple functional layers in a soft polymer substrate. We have optimized the electronic and mechanical performance of these devices using numerical simulations. The results accurately predicted measured performance, making it possible to tailor both electronic and mechanical properties. These methods enable the design of tactile sensing arrays that are highly conformable and robust, and that possess a number of desirable attributes, including high sensitivity, monotonic output, good linearity, low cross-talk, low rate dependence, and low hysteresis. This may enable new applications in wearable electronics, healthcare, and robotics.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Assemblies of Microfluidic Channels and Micropillars Facilitate Sensitive and Compliant Tactile Sensing
- Creators
- Bin Li - Drexel UniversityYe Shi - Drexel UniversityHui Hu - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Media Arts and Technology Program, California NanoSystems Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USAAdam Fontecchio - Drexel UniversityYon Visell - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Media Arts and Technology Program, California NanoSystems Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Publication Details
- IEEE sensors journal, v 16(24), pp 8908-8915
- Publisher
- IEEE
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- 1446752; 1527709 / NSF Award; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000389053900034
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85013156208
- Other Identifier
- 991019168168804721
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InCites Highlights
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
- Instruments & Instrumentation
- Physics, Applied