(A) highly sensitive wearable fiber-optic sensor for pressure and shear force measurement

Abstract

With the advancement of soft robotics, wearable devices conformal to human skin are being actively researched on. These wearable devices include tactile sensors that could measure the mechanical stimuli like pressure and temperature. However, in order to accurately interprete the tactile interaction, one must obtain information about both pressure and shear force. This enables monitoring of the interfacial tactile condition of wearable devices in medical fields, and in designing compression garments and sports wear. The current wearable sensors have challenges like low sensitivity, drift, measurement noise and electromagnetic interference which limits the sensor usage places without the EMI. The need of sensitive wearable sensor that could measure low interfacial pressure <10kPa is essential for monitoring the tactile interaction device and the skin. Fiber-optic sensor enables the design of such sensors. The light intensity modulation based sensing mechanism along with the fiber can improve the wearability and the sensitivity of the sensor. Pressure and shear force measuring sensor that is wearable and robust is introduced in this study.