Science of Emotion and Sensibility (감성과학)

Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility (한국감성과학회)
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Exploration of Structural Design Effects on the Performance of Embroidered Strain Sensors

센서 구조에 따른 자수 방식 스트레인 센서의 성능 탐색

  • 최문정 (연세대학교 의류환경학과) ;
  • 이주현 (연세대학교 의류환경학과)
  • Received : 2025.05.26
  • Accepted : 2025.06.12
  • Published : 2025.06.30
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Abstract

This study adopts an exploratory approach to hand rehabilitation by designing embroidered strain sensors with single- and double-layered structures. The objective is to identify suitable structural design parameters for finger motion sensing by analyzing variations in contact area and sensing performance across different sensor configurations. In the first experiment, sensors with varying stitch densities and layer structures were positioned on a 3D-printed joint model and subjected to elongation-relaxation cycles at a frequency of 1 Hz. The peak-to-peak voltage (mVp-p) of the generated signals was measured and analyzed using morphological assessment and non-parametric statistical testing. Based on these findings, the second experiment focused on double-layered sensors, developing four glove-type sensors with different stitch densities and numbers of contact points. Participants performed thumb and index finger flexion-extension tasks, and signal stability and quality were evaluated using waveform analysis and quantitative indicators. Results from the first experiment indicated that double-layered, high-density sensors produced statistically higher signal magnitudes compared to single-layered, low-density structures. Similarly, the second experiment demonstrated that the double-layered, high-density configuration yielded relatively higher signal quality. These findings suggest that sensor structure influences signal strength and that embroidery-related structural factors affect signal quality under practical conditions. Overall, this exploratory study provides foundational insights into the structural design of embroidered sensors and supports the future development of wearable technologies for hand rehabilitation.

본 연구는 손 재활을 위한 탐색적 고찰의 일환으로, 자수 기반 스트레인 센서를 단층과 복층 구조로 설계하여 각 구조에서의 접촉 면적 변화와 센싱 성능의 차이를 비교·분석함으로써 손가락 동작 센싱에 적합한 센서 구조 설계 방향을 제시하고자 하였다. 1차 실험에서는 다양한 스티치 밀도와 층 구성으로 제작된 센서를 3D 프린팅 관절 모형에 올린 후 1 Hz 주기의 신전-이완 동작을 반복 적용하여, 생성된 신호의 peak-to-peak 전압(mVp-p)을 측정하였다. 수집된 신호는 형상 분석과 비모수 통계 검정을 통해 정량적으로 분석하였다. 2차 실험에서는 1차 실험 결과를 바탕으로 복층 구조 센서를 선정하고, 접촉 점 수와 스티치 밀도를 기준으로 네 가지 조합의 센서를 장갑 형태로 제작하였다. 그리고 스마트 장갑을 착용한 피험자의 엄지와 검지에 대해 굽힘-폄 동작을 기준으로, 센싱 신호의 안정성과 품질을 형상적 특성과 정량 지표를 통해 분석하였다. 실험 결과, 1차에서는 복층-고밀도 구조 센서가 단층-저밀도 구조에 비해 유의하게 높은 신호 크기를 나타냈다. 2차 실험에서도 복층-고밀도 구조가 상대적으로 더 우수한 신호 품질을 보이는 것으로 확인되었다. 결론적으로, 1차 실험에서는 센서의 구조적 설계가 신호 세기에 직접적인 영향을 미친다는 점을 입증하였고, 2차 실험에서는 실제 사용 환경에서도 자수 구조적 변수에 따라 신호 품질이 달라짐을 확인하였다. 이는 자수형 센서 설계 시 구조적 설계의 중요성을 시사하며, 웨어러블 손 재활 장치 개발에 기초 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

Keywords

References

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