Modeling and simulation of electromechanical-contact based elastomeric pressure sensor

Abstract

Elastomeric electric-contact pressure sensors in wearable devices for monitoring physiological signals have much broader potential. In order to design and develop better pressure sensors, the simulation of the electric contact - pressure response is very important. However, due to the large deformation of the patterned surface, it is difficult to model the specific contact surface by using the conventional electric-contact theory only. In the present study, a hybrid electromechanical-contact resistance model was developed to study the strain and stress distributions on the microstructured elastomeric electric-contact surface subjected to pressure. In our new model, the contact resistance in an epidermal pressure sensor can be modeled easily and accurately with a better result. Our model can be used to optimize the sensor design and evaluate the sensing performance of pressure sensors.