• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.215-218
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• 2015

As several innovative technologies for flexible electric devices are being realized, demand for in-situ strain monitoring for flexible electric devices is being emphasized. Because flexible devices are commonly influenced by substrate strain, suitable strain sensors for flexible devices are essential for the sophisticated maneuvering of flexible devices. In this study, a flexible strain sensor based on an Ag electrode is prepared on a polyimide substrate using the LDW (laser direct writing) process. In this process, first, the Ag nanoparticles are coated on the substrate and selectively sintered using a focused laser. Because of the advantages of the LDW process (such as being mask-less, using low temperatures, and having non-vacuum characteristics), the entire fabrication process has been dramatically simplified; as a final outcome, a highly reliable strain sensor has been fabricated. Using this strain sensor, various strain conditions that arise from different bending radii can be detected by measuring real-time electrical signals.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.391-396
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• 2017

Human body motion detection is important in several industry sectors, such as entertainment, healthcare, rehabilitation, and so on. In this paper, we first discuss commercial human motion detection technologies (optical markers, MEMS acceleration sensors, infrared imaging, etc.) and then explain recent advances in the development of flexible and stretchable strain sensors for human motion detection. In particular, flexible and stretchable strain sensors that are fabricated using carbon nanotubes, silver nanowires, graphene, and other materials are reviewed.

• Nano
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.1850126.1-1850126.10
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• 2018

Flexible strain sensors, as the core member of the family of smart electronic devices, along with reasonable sensing range and sensitivity plus low cost, have rose a huge consumer market and also immense interests in fundamental studies and technological applications, especially in the field of biomimetic robots movement detection and human health condition monitoring. In this paper, we propose a new flexible strain sensor based on thick CVD graphene film and its low-cost fabrication strategy by using the commercial adhesive tape as flexible substrate. The tensile tests in a strain range of ~30% were implemented, and a gage factor of 30 was achieved under high strain condition. The optical microscopic observation with different strains showed the evolution of cracks in graphene film. Together with commonly used platelet overlap theory and percolation network theory for sensor resistance modeling, we established an overlap destructive resistance model to analyze the sensing mechanism of our devices, which fitted the experimental data very well. The finding of difference of fitting parameters in small and large strain ranges revealed the multiple stage feature of graphene crack evolution. The resistance fallback phenomenon due to the viscoelasticity of flexible substrate was analyzed. Our flexible strain sensor with low cost and simple fabrication process exhibits great potential for commercial applications.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2013

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are electrically conductive. When CNFs are used as fillers in resin, this electrical conductivity can be yielded without adversely affecting the mechanical properties of the resin. When an elastomer is adopted as the resin, a conductive elastomer can then be produced. Due to its flexibility and conductive properties, a large strain sensor based on changes in resistivity may be produced, for strain sensing in flexible structures. In this study, a patch-type large strain sensor using resistivity change in a CNF/elastomer composite was proposed. The measurement limits of the sensor were investigated experimentally, and the limit was found to be 40%, which greatly exceeded the limits of conventional metal-foiled strain gages. Also, the proposed CNF/elastomer large strain sensor can be used to measure flexible materials, while conventional strain gages cannot be used to measure such strains.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.130-133
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• 2010

A flexible three-axial tactile sensor was fabricated on Kapton polyimide film using polymer micromachining technology. Nichrome (Ni:Cr = 8:2) strain gauges were positioned on an etched membrane to detect normal and shear loads. The optimal positions of strain gauges were determined through strain distribution from finite element analysis. The sensor was evaluated by applying normal and shear loads from 0 N to 0.8 N using an evaluation system. Sensitivity of the tactile sensor to normal and shear loads was about 206.6 mV/N and 70.1 mV/N, respectively. The sensor showed good linearity, and its determination coefficient ($R^2$) was about 0.982. The developed sensor can be applied in a curved or compliant surface that requires slip detection and flexibility, such as a robotic fingertip.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.188-192
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• 2012

In this study, a carbon nanotube (CNT) flexible strain sensor was fabricated with CNT based epoxy and rubber composites for tactile sensing. The flexible strain sensor can be fabricated as a long fibrous sensor and it also may be able to measure large deformation and contact information on a structure. The long and flexible sensor can be considered to be a continuous sensor like a dendrite of a neuron in the human body and we named the sensor as a biomimetic artificial neuron. For the application of the neuron in biomimetic engineering, an ANMS (Artificial Neuron Matrix System) was developed by means of the array of the neurons with a signal processing system. Moreover, a strain positioning algorithm was also developed to find localized tactile information of the ANMS with Labview for the application of an artificial e-skin.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2006

In this paper, we propose a fault-tolerant control system for the position control and vibration suppression of a flexible arm robot. The proposed control system has a strain gauge sensor signal observer based on a reaction force observer and detects a fault by monitoring an estimated error. In order to improve the estimation accuracy, the plant parameters included in the sensor signal observer are updated by using the strain gauge sensor signal in normal time through the adaptive law. After fault detection, the proposed control system exchanges the faulty sensor signal for the estimated one and switches to a fault mode controller so as to maintain the stability and the control performance. We confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed control system through several experiments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.1083-1084
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• 2011

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.181-184
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• 2021

Interest in healthcare and wearable devices has been increasing recently. A strain sensor is required in various wearable devices. With respect to such devices, studies on resistance changes in strain sensors using flexible materials are in progress. However, the resistance of the rest area in a strain sensor should not change according to the applied strain. So, an electrode with resistance to stretching, bending, and torsion is required in such strain sensors. Tension, bending, and torsion can be realized through structural shape control, rather than by using flexible materials. Further, such an electrode that maintains electrical properties has been developed and manufactured. This electrode can be used in various applications such as foldable devices, e-papers, batteries, and multifunctional wearable devices.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2002.07c
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• pp.1979-1981
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• 2002

새로운 방식의 일체형 flexible sensor module을 제작하였다. MEMS공정을 이용하여 제작된이 센서 모듈은 배선기판은 물론 strain sensor 역시 임의의 곡면에 실장을 위해 자유로운 굽힘이 가능하도록 제작되었다. 실리콘웨이퍼에 구현된 piezoresistor 스트레인 센서는 release-etch 방법을 통해 웨이퍼로부터 분리되어, 폴리이미드를 기판으로 하는 Flexible Sensor Array Module로 완성되었다. 소자와 기판을 따로 제작한 후 조립하는 기존의 방식에 비해, 웨이퍼 위에서 flexible 기판을 형성하여 수율이 높고 사진공정의 정밀도를 그대로 보전한 기판과 센서 어레이의 패키징이 가능하였으며, 칩을 기판에 실장하기 위한 정밀한 조립공정도 불필요하였다. 폴리이미드 기판은 전기도금을 통해 회로를 구성하여 1단계 패키징 (die to chip carrier)과 2단계 패키징 (chip to substrate)을 웨이퍼 레벨에서 완성하였다. 마지막으로 불산 용액을 통해 희생층을 제거함으로서 웨이퍼로 부터 센서어레이 모듈을 분리 하였다.