Manufacturing and characterizing of CCTO/SEBS dielectric elastomer as capacitive strain sensors

Outstanding Synergy of Sensitivity and Linear Range Enabled by Multigradient Architectures

“…Flexible pressure sensors that transduce the external forces into electrical signals endow intelligent robotics, artificial prosthetics, wearable electronics, and human-machine interfaces with mechanosensory functions. − Mechanical inputs from the environment are converted to real-time electrical signals by distinct types of pressure sensors, including capacitive, − piezoelectric, − triboelectric, − and piezoresistive sensors. − A piezoresistive sensor that transduces pressure stimuli to resistance/current signals presents the advantages of simple structures and manufacturing processes, easy signal collection and readout mechanisms, and cost-effectiveness in fabrication. To meet the application requirements in complex scenarios, the pressure sensor often requires high sensitivity, excellent linearity over a broad pressure range, and high pressure resolution. ,,− Much effort has been devoted to engineering the active materials with surface micro/nanostructures, such as dome/pyramid/cone/pillar arrays, for improving the sensitivity and simultaneously broadening the pressure range. − Although encouraging progress has been made, the pressure sensors often possess varying sensitivity values within different pressure ranges due to the structural stiffening of such microstructures and corresponding signal attenuation with increasing pressure.…”