A Comparative Characterization of Smart Textile Pressure Sensors

This research study investigates the impact of various insulating textile materials on the performance of smart textile pressure sensors made of conductive threads and piezo resistive material. We designed four sets of identical textile-based pressure sensors each of them integrating a different insulating textile substrate material. Each of these sensors underwent a series of tests that linearly increased and decreased a uniform pressure perpendicular to the surface of the sensors. The controlled change of the integration layer altered the characteristics of the pressure sensors including both the sensitivity and pressure ranges. Our experiments highlighted that the manufacturing design technique of textile material has a significant impact on the sensor; with evidence of reproducibility values directly relating to fabric dimensional stability and elasticity.