Sensors with deformable conductors and selective deformation
AssigneeLiquid Wire Inc.
InventorMark Ronay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor may include a bladder, and a deformable conductor disposed on the bladder such that deformation of the bladder causes deformation of the deformable conductor, wherein the bladder is constrained so as to enhance the deformation of the conductor in response to the deformation of the bladder. A method may include applying a stimulus to a bladder having a deformable conductor attached thereto, detecting a change in an electrical characteristic associated with the deformable conductor in response to the stimulus, and selectively constraining the bladder to amplify the change in electrical characteristic in response to the stimulus.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- an elastic bladder;
- and
- a stretchable conductor disposed in a geometry on the elastic bladder such that deformation of the elastic bladder causes deformation of the stretchable conductor, wherein the deformation of the stretchable conductor causes a change in an electrical characteristic of the stretchable conductor;
- an encapsulant configured to encapsulate the stretchable conductor to the elastic bladder;
- and
- a processor, operatively coupled to the stretchable conductor, configured to receive from the stretchable conductor a signal indicative of an electrical property of the stretchable conductor and determine a strain on the elastic bladder based, at least in part, on the signal;
- wherein the bladder contains a medium that biases the elastic bladder to return to a predetermined three-dimensional configuration.
A method of making a system, comprising:
- disposing a stretchable conductor in a geometry on an elastic bladder such that deformation of the elastic bladder causes deformation of the stretchable conductor, wherein the deformation of the stretchable conductor causes a change in an electrical characteristic of the stretchable conductor;
- encapsulating the stretchable conductor to the elastic bladder with an encapsulant;
- and
- operatively coupling a processor to the stretchable conductor, the processor configured to receive from the stretchable conductor a signal indicative of an electrical property of the stretchable conductor and determine a strain on the elastic bladder based, at least in part, on the signal;
- wherein the bladder contains a medium that biases the elastic bladder to return to a predetermined three-dimensional configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.