Flexible sensor
AssigneeBoard of Trustees of Michigan State University
InventorsXiaobo TAN, Mohammed Khalid AL-RUBAIAI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible sensor is provided. A further aspect employs a sensor apparatus including pressure or force sensing layers or sheets in addition to location sensing layers or sheets. In another aspect, an electrical sensing circuit and flexible films are used to sense pressure and/or location of a contacting object. In another aspect, a compressible polymer includes conductive particles therein such that the compressible polymer changes electrical resistance when compressed to indicate a force or location. Still another aspect has stacked sandwiches of pressure and/or location sensing films, layers or sheets.
Claims23
A sensor apparatus comprising:
- (a) a location sensing sandwich portion comprising a compressible sensing layer and a conductive electrode film layer, between which is an insulating spacer layer;
- (b) a pressure sensing sandwich portion comprising a first film layer and a conductive electrode film layer, between which is a compressible layer;
- (c) one of the sensing sandwich portions being stacked on top of the other of the sensing sandwich portions such that the layers all lie in substantially parallel planes when in a nominal condition;
- (d) the compressible layers being electrically conductive to at least an associated one of the conductive electrode film layers when compressed;
- (e) a pressure electrical circuit connected to the pressure sensing sandwich portion operably determining a compressive pressure by an output from the pressure sensing sandwich portion, when the compressible layer of the pressure sensing sandwich portion is compressed;
- and
- (f) a location electrical circuit connected to the location sensing sandwich portion operably determining a compressive location by an output from the location sensing sandwich portion, when the compressible layer of the location sensing sandwich portion is compressed.
A sensor apparatus comprising:
- (a) a flexible location sensor comprising a substrate sheet and a metallic electrode sheet, between which is located a compressible sheet comprising spaced apart conductive particles encapsulated within a polymer;
- (b) the location sensor being configured to sense contact location based on where the conductive particles are compressed toward each other which causes a change in electrical resistance;
- (c) a flexible force sensor comprising metallic electrode sheets, between which is a compressible sheet comprising spaced apart conductive particles encapsulated within a polymer;
- (d) the force sensor being configured to sense magnitude of a force where the conductive particles are compressed toward each other to conduct electricity between the adjacent electrodes of the force sensor;
- and
- (e) one of the sensors being stacked on top of the other of the sensors with an insulating sheet therebetween.
A sensor apparatus comprising:
- (a) a flexible position sensor comprising at least one electrode sheet adjacent which is located a compressible sheet comprising spaced apart conductive particles encapsulated within a polymer;
- (b) the position sensor being configured to sense contact position based on where the conductive particles are compressed;
- (c) a flexible pressure sensor comprising at least one electrode sheet adjacent which is a compressible sheet comprising spaced apart conductive particles encapsulated within a polymer;
- (d) the pressure sensor being configured to sense a force where the conductive particles are compressed toward each other;
- (e) the sheets are all stacked on top of each other in parallel planes;
- and
- (f) a component including a flexible and curved exterior surface upon which the sensors are attached, the component comprising at least one of:
- i. a robotic arm or joint;
- ii. an aircraft wing or fuselage;
- iii. a wearable garment;
- iv. an inflatable tube;
- or
- v. an inflatable antenna.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.