title: Sensor for Measuring Strain in Textile.
abstract: In this paper a stain sensor to measure large strain (80%) in textiles is presented. It consists of a mixture of 50wt-% thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and 50wt-% carbon black particles and is fiber-shaped with a diameter of 0.315mm. The attachment of the sensor to the textile is realized using a silicone film. This sensor configuration was characterized using a strain tester and measuring the resistance (extension-retraction cycles): It showed a linear resistance response to strain, a small hysteresis, no ageing effects and a small dependance on the strain velocity. The total mean error caused by all these effects was +/-5.5% in strain. Washing several times in a conventional washing machine did not influence the sensor properties. The paper finishes by showing an example application where 21 strain sensors were integrated into a catsuit. With this garment, 27 upper body postures could be recognized with an accuracy of 97%.
authors.affiliation: Wearable Computing Lab, ETH Zürich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland. mattmann@ife.ee.ethz.ch.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mattmann
authors.affiliation: EMPA Dübendorf, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. frank.clemens@empa.ch.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.affiliation: Wearable Computing Lab, ETH Zürich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland. troester@ife.ee.ethz.ch.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tröster
keywords: elastomer.; strain sensor; textile integrated