A DIY Fabrication Approach of Stretchable Sensors Using Carbon Nano Tube Powder for Wearable Device

Ardi Wiranata; Yunosuke Ohsugi; Ayato Minaminosono; Zebing Mao; Haruyuki Kurata; Naoki Hosoya; Shingo Maeda

doi:10.3389/frobt.2021.773056

A DIY Fabrication Approach of Stretchable Sensors Using Carbon Nano Tube Powder for Wearable Device

Front Robot AI. 2021 Nov 11:8:773056. doi: 10.3389/frobt.2021.773056. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Ardi Wiranata^{1

2}, Yunosuke Ohsugi¹, Ayato Minaminosono¹, Zebing Mao¹, Haruyuki Kurata³, Naoki Hosoya³, Shingo Maeda¹

Affiliations

¹ Smart Materials Laboratory, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
² Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
³ Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.

Abstract

Soft robotics and wearable devices are promising technologies due to their flexibility. As human-soft robot interaction technologies advance, the interest in stretchable sensor devices has increased. Currently, the main challenge in developing stretchable sensors is preparing high-quality sensors via a simple and cost-effective method. This study introduces the do-it-yourself (DIY)-approach to fabricate a carbon nanotube (CNT) powder-based stretchable sensor. The fabrication strategy utilizes an automatic brushing machine to pattern CNT powder on the elastomer. The elastomer ingredients are optimized to increase the elastomer compatibility with the brushing method. We found that polydimethylsiloxane-polyethyleneimine (PDMS-PEIE) is 50% more stretchable and 63% stickier than previously reported PDMS 30-1. With these improved elastomer characteristics, PDMS-PEIE/multiwalled CNT (PDMS-PEIE/MWCNT-1) strain sensor can realize a gauge factor of 6.2-8.2 and a responsivity up to 25 ms. To enhance the compatibility of the powder-based stretchable sensor for a wearable device, the sensor is laminated using a thin Ecoflex membrane. Additionally, system integration of the stretchable sensors are demonstrated by embedding it into a cotton-glove and a microcontroller to control a virtual hand. This cost-effective DIY-approach are expected to greatly contribute to the development of wearable devices since the technology is simple, economical, and reliable.

Keywords: DIY; electroactive polymers; powder-based electrode; stretchable sensor; wearable sensor.