Strain Mapping and Large Strain Measurement Using Biaxial Skin Sensors

Abstract

Electronic skins, or e-skins, are electronic devices capable of sensing physical interactions such as strain, temperature, or pressure. These e-skins are of interest in a variety of fields including robotics, structural health monitoring, and medicine. E-skins should measure strains over a larger range of elongation than traditional strain sensors could. This paper explores the synthesis of a flexible biaxial strain sensor for large surface strain measurement. The sensor is made by spraying an exfoliated graphite and latex mixture onto a latex substrate to form a 4 × 4 grid of electrically conductive strips. Electrodes are connected to each sensor to collect data on deformation induced voltage difference. Two setup geometries were characterized, the behavior of a single strip in each direction in a one by one configuration as well as the behavior of a four by four setup that can measure a two-dimensional strain field. The characteristics of the sensor is studied by attaching it on a tensile testing specimen. When the sensor is subjected to strain along one or both of the two measurement axes, the voltage difference can be recorded using Arduino. The voltage drop was normalized and used to construct a strain distribution plot in MATLAB to determine the highly strained location. In addition to characterizing the behavior of the sensor, the dispersion of the exfoliated graphite in the latex is also studied using optical microscopy. The sensor is made from inexpensive materials and was able to measure large strain that cannot be achieved with commercially available strain gauges.