Inductive Paper-Based Flexible Contact Force Sensor Utilizing Natural Micro-Nanostructures of Paper: Simplicity, Economy, and Eco-Friendliness

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple, low-cost, and eco-friendly flexible contact force sensor made from paper, showing good performance in monitoring human motion and respiration.

Contribution

A novel inductive contact force sensor using paper's natural micro-nanostructures as a sensitive element, offering simplicity and eco-friendliness.

Findings

The paper-based sensor demonstrated good repeatability, hysteresis, sensitivity, and consistency in performance testing.

It showed strong detection performance in experiments for monitoring human motion and respiration.

The sensor is cost-effective, biodegradable, and easy to manufacture.

Abstract

Inductive contact force sensors, known for their high precision and anti-interference capabilities, hold significant potential applications in fields such as wearable and medical monitoring devices. Most of the current research on inductive contact force sensors employed novel nanomaterials as sensitive elements to enhance their sensitivity and other performance characteristics. However, sensors developed through such methods typically involve complex preparation processes, high costs, and difficulty in biodegradation, which limit their further development. This article introduces a new flexible inductive contact force sensor using paper as a sensitive element. Paper inherently possesses micro- and nanostructures on its surface and interior, enabling it to sensitively convert changes in contact force into changes in displacement, making it suitable for use as the sensor’s sensitive element. Additionally, the advantages of paper also include its great flexibility, low cost, wide availability, and biodegradability. Performance testing on this flexible sensor showed good repeatability, hysteresis, sensitivity, and consistency. When used in experiments for monitoring human motion and respiration, this sensor also exhibited great detection performance. The proposed inductive paper-based flexible contact force sensor, with its simple structure, easy manufacturing process, cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and good sensing performance, provides new insights into research for contact force sensors.

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