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Highly piezoresistive compliant nanofibrous sensors for tactile and epidermal electronic applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2014

Saeid Soltanian ,
Amir Servati ,
Rowshan Rahmanian ,
Frank Ko  and
Peyman Servati
Saeid Soltanian
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
Amir Servati
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada; and Department of Materials Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
Rowshan Rahmanian
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
Frank Ko
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
Peyman Servati*
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: peymans@ece.ubc.ca
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Abstract

Soft, sensitive, and conformable strain sensors can provide tactile sensation to prosthetic limbs and can be used for epidermal and wearable health monitoring. High strain sensitivity is often achieved by using piezoelectric ceramics, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), with known issues for large-area scalability, rigidity, and biocompatibility. Here, we report a nature-inspired, piezoresistive, soft, and benign core–shell nanofibrous sensor that exhibits an unprecedented gauge factor in excess of 60, arising from a reversible disjointing/jointing of a large number of interfiber junctions, consequently changing the current path and resistance in response to both tensile and compressive strains. Nanofiber textile sensor arrays are demonstrated with fast, low-voltage, accurate, and repeatable sensing over 1000 cycles for epidermal monitoring of limb and musculoskeletal movements and radial pulse waveform, for real-time monitoring of simulated intermittent Parkinson's tremors, and for biaxial tactile sensing and localization of point of touch.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 30 , Issue 1: Focus Issue: Soft Nanomaterials , 14 January 2015 , pp. 121 - 129
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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References

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