Huang Xinghao, Liu Liangshu, Lin Yung Hsin, Feng Rui, Shen Yiyang, Chang Yuanning, Zhao Hangbo
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Sci Adv. 2023 Aug 25;9(34):eadh9799. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9799.
Stretchable strain sensors are essential for various applications such as wearable electronics, prosthetics, and soft robotics. Strain sensors with high strain range, minimal hysteresis, and fast response speed are highly desirable for accurate measurements of large and dynamic deformations of soft bodies. Current stretchable strain sensors mostly rely on deformable conducting materials, which often have difficulties in achieving these properties simultaneously. In this study, we introduce capacitive strain sensor concepts based on origami-inspired three-dimensional mesoscale electrodes formed by a mechanically guided assembly process. These sensors exhibit up to 200% stretchability with 1.2% degree of hysteresis, <22 ms response time, small sensing area (~5 mm), and directional strain responses. To showcase potential applications, we demonstrate the use of distributed strain sensors for measuring multimodal deformations of a soft continuum arm.
可拉伸应变传感器对于可穿戴电子设备、假肢和软体机器人等各种应用至关重要。具有高应变范围、最小滞后和快速响应速度的应变传感器对于精确测量软体的大动态变形非常理想。目前的可拉伸应变传感器大多依赖于可变形导电材料，而这些材料往往难以同时实现这些特性。在本研究中，我们引入了基于折纸启发的三维中尺度电极的电容式应变传感器概念，该电极由机械引导组装工艺形成。这些传感器具有高达200%的拉伸性，滞后度为1.2%，响应时间<22毫秒，传感面积小（约5毫米），并且具有方向应变响应。为了展示潜在应用，我们演示了使用分布式应变传感器测量软连续体手臂的多模态变形。
