Fabrication of Polymer-based Flexible Tactile Sensing Module with Metal Strain Gauges and Interconnecter

Abstract

We present fabrication of flexible tactile sensing module with NiCr strain gauge as sensing element and interconnecter for signal treatment by polymer MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technologies using polyimide materials. The tactile sensor array is composed of 16 x 16 sensing elements with 2 mm x 2 mm cell size and its overall size is 4 cm x5 cm. Both the tactile sensor array and interconnecter are placed in the sensing module during the fabrication process. The fabricated tactile sensing module is measured continuously in the normal force range of 0-1N with tactile sensor evaluation system. The variation of resistance is relatively increased linearly in the range of 0-0.6N and saturated after 0.6N. The variation rate of resistance is approximately 3%/N in the linear range. In addition, the flexibility of the sensing module is adequate to be placed on any curved surface like cylinder because the matrix consists of polymer and metal thin film.

A microfabricated strain gauge array on polymer substrate for tactile neuroprostheses in rats

“…Tactile sensors detect surface texture of objects and dis tribution of contact forces [9]. Several different approaches exist in the literature for tactile sensing.…”

“…In other words, biological skin and mechanoreceptors embedded inside allow large deformations, which seem to be the greatest limitation of the tactile sensors described in the literature. For example, in [9], a NiCr metallic strain gauge was used as the sensing element. A layer of PI was formed as the membrane of the sensor and another layer of elastomer was used to coat the surface for protecting the lower layer.…”