title: A highly elastic, capacitive strain gauge based on percolating nanotube networks.
abstract: We present a highly elastic strain gauge based on capacitive sensing of parallel, carbon nanotube-based percolation electrodes separated by a dielectric elastomer. The fabrication, relying on vacuum filtration of single-walled carbon nanotubes and hydrophobic patterning of silicone, is both rapid and inexpensive. We demonstrate reliable, linear performance over thousands of cycles at up to 100% strain with less than 3% variability and the highest reported gauge factor for a device of this class (0.99). We further demonstrate use of this sensor in a robotics context to transduce joint angles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. daniel.cohen@berkeley.edu
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Debkishore
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Michel M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Maharbiz
mesh_terms: D004566:Electrodes; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012828:Silicones / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D012828:Silicones