Fully 3D-Printed Soft Capacitive Sensor of High Toughness and Large Measurement Range

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Robotics
• Electronics

Background:

• Soft capacitive sensors are crucial for wearable devices and soft robotics.
• Existing sensors face challenges with delamination and limited measurement range due to low interfacial toughness and stiffness variation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop high-performance soft silicone-based capacitive sensors using multimaterial 3D printing.
• To enhance interfacial toughness and broaden the measurement range of soft capacitive sensors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a customized multimaterial 3D printer for simultaneous curing of silicone materials.
• Engineered continuous conductive and dielectric layers for improved adhesion.
• Designed sensors with tilted thin-plate dielectrics to control stiffness variation.

Main Results:

• Achieved a substantial interfacial toughness of 1036 J·m⁻² for continuous layers.
• Demonstrated interfacial toughness of 645 J·m⁻² (transverse) and 339 J·m⁻² (longitudinal) for tilted dielectrics.
• Extended the measurement range from 0.85 Pa to 5000 kPa, with stiffness varying from 0.56 kPa to 19.76 MPa.

Conclusions:

• The 3D printing strategy significantly enhances interfacial toughness and measurement range of soft capacitive sensors.
• The developed sensors are suitable for applications like intelligent insoles and integrated robotic hands.
• This approach provides a general method for creating advanced soft sensors and functional devices.