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Rapid-Response, Widely Stretchable Sensor of Aligned MWCNT/Elastomer Composites for Human Motion Detection
journal contribution
posted on 2016-05-18, 00:00 authored by Katsunori Suzuki, Koji Yataka, Yasuro Okumiya, Shingo Sakakibara, Keisuke Sako, Hidenori Mimura, Yoku InoueWe
studied the use of carbon-nanotube- (CNT)-based strain sensors
as components of a textile-based, wearable sensing system for real-time
motion detection. In the stretchable sensor, millimeter-long multiwalled
CNTs (MWCNTs) are unidirectionally aligned and sandwiched between
elastomer layers. We synthesized urethane resin to make the elastomer,
which exhibits low elasticity and an affinity for human skin. The
aligned CNT layer was formed by stacking CNT webs drawn from a spinnable
CNT forest. The stretchable sensor can be stretched up to 200% and
exhibits a short sensing delay of less than 15 ms. The gauge factor
exceeds 10, which indicates high sensitivity. Moreover, the device
is thin and as soft as human skin. The demonstrated flexibility and
conformable nature make this material ideally suited for wearable
sensors, specifically for a textile-based, wearable, real-time, human
body motion-sensing application.