Zhilyaeva Maria A, Asiyanbola Oyedamola A, Lomakin Maksim V, Mironov Dima M, Voloskov Boris S, Mikladal Bjørn, Tsetserukou Dzmitry O, Fedorov Fedor S, Vershinina Anna I, Shandakov Sergey D, Nasibulin Albert G
Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Center for Photonic Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Nobel St., 3, Moscow 121205, Russia.
Laboratory of Carbon Nanomaterials, Kemerovo State University, Krasnaya str. 6, Kemerovo 650000, Russia.
Nanotechnology. 2022 Sep 8;33(48). doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac8b18.
Design of new smart prosthetics or robotic grippers gives a major impetus to low-cost manufacturing and rapid prototyping of force sensing devices. In this paper, we examine piezoresistive force sensors based on carbon nanotube fibers fabricated by a novel wet pulling technique. The developed sensor is characterized by an adjustable force range coupled with high sensitivity to enable the detection of a wide range of forces and displacements limited by the experimental setup only. We have demonstrated the applicability of the developed unit in tactile sensing, displacement sensing, and nanophone vibration monitoring system and evaluated its force sensing characteristics, i.e. displacement/force input and resistance/mechanical response. In the experiments it measures 0-115 N force range within 2.5 mm displacement. Moreover, the sensor demonstrates good linearity, low hysteresis, and stability when tested over 10 000 cycles. The developed sensor suits multiple applications in the field of soft and transparent sensors, nanophones, actuators, and other robotics devices for both regular and extreme environments, e.g. deep underwater and radioactive environment.
