Title: Analytical modelling of a tri-axial flexible capacitive tactile sensing array

Authors: Jian-Ping Yu; Xin Li; Yu-Liang Zhang

Addresses: College of Mechanical Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Air-driven Equipment Technology of Zhejiang Province, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China ' College of Mechanical Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Air-driven Equipment Technology of Zhejiang Province, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China ' College of Mechanical Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Air-driven Equipment Technology of Zhejiang Province, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China

Abstract: In this paper, the analytical modelling of a tri-axial flexible capacitive tactile sensing array is proposed. A unit sensing element consists of a sensing electrode layer, an insulation layer, a common electrode layer and a surface layer. The sensing electrode layer is of flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) based structure, on which, four sensing electrodes and fragile interconnects for signal sampling are implemented. While the common electrode layer is patterned on polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) based structures, on which only a common electrode is implemented. This design is on purpose of enhancing the device flexible rigidity. Four sensing electrodes and a common electrode constitute four capacitors in a unit sensing element, when the four capacitors are arranged in a square form, the measured contact force will be easily decomposed into its normal and shear components. The estimated sensitivities of a unit sensor are 0.43 and 0.17%/mN for the x-y and z-axes, respectively.

Keywords: capacitive microsensor; three-dimensional tactile sensing; common electrode; polydimethlysiloxane; PDMS.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2019.100463

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2019 Vol.15 No.3, pp.304 - 314

Received: 11 Sep 2016
Accepted: 26 Sep 2017
Published online: 29 Jun 2019 *

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