Technology Overview

This technology offer is a soft tactile sensor with low operation voltage and ultralow power consumption, intended for use in robotic devices, human- machine interactions and health monitoring devices. This flexible tactile sensor uses low-cost printing processes and is adaptable on any active surfaces. The technology is also amenable to fabrication of flexible, large area sensor arrays as well as high density, high spatial resolution active matrix tactile sensors.

Technology Features, Specifications and Advantages

The following are the features and specifications of the soft tactile sensor :

• High sensitivity of more than 100 kPa-1
• Low limit of detection of 1.1 Pa
• Low working voltage of less than 1V
• Cost Effective
• Printable technology, using low cost processes
• Conformable, adaptive on any active surfaces
• Use of environmentally friendly organic materials

Potential Applications

The tactile sensors are able to capture a static spatial pressure distribution and monitor dynamic pressure stimuli at multiple points on target surface, that can find various applications in the fields of soft robotics, health monitoring and human-machine interfaces.

Some application examples are:

• Large area electronic skin applications powered by small integrated power sources
• Smart artificial limb with a tactile feedback system to provide a touch feedback to grab soft objects in a controlled way
• Smart artificial skin for the perception of surface texture with various roughness, hardness and pattern shapes
• Wearable health-monitoring devices including blood pressure monitoring, respiratory monitoring, and other vital signs monitoring

Customer Benefit

The soft tactile sensor has various benefits such as the lower costs, easier to use, low power consumption, long-term lifetime, adaptable on any active surface (conformability), and use of environmentally friendly organic materials (biocompatibility). It can also be a suitable alternative for monitoring the blood pressure in premature babies and neonates whose skin is extremely sensitive to external pressure. The ultrahigh sensitivity at low pressure range enable our soft, lightweight and flexible pressure sensor be attached to the under-developed neonate skin, guaranteeing a high spatial fidelity and ensuring the chances of registering systolic and diastolic pressure events.