A PVDF SENSOR WITH PRINTED ELECTRODES FOR NORMAL AND SHEAR STRESS MEASUREMENTS ON SOLE

Satu Kärki, Miika Kiiski, Matti Mäntysalo, Jukka Lekkala
Abstract:
We have tested a method of printing electrodes on the unmetalled polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) material to construct a matrix version of a sensor for normal and shear stress measurements on sole. A commercial PVDF material with silver ink metallization has previously been used to manufacture a single sensor prototype. With the metal-coated PVDF material, a matrix sensor is challenging to construct; the metallization should be removed from the certain areas of the material to form an electrode grid pattern or a number of identical separate sensors should be cut off from the material sheet. Hence, a new method is explored here. The sensor is manufactured from unmetalled PVDF material and an array of electrodes with desired size and shape is printed on the material surface. This study concentrates on the characteristics of single sensors manufactured with this method. Based on the results, the sensitivity seems to be decreased due to the thermal stress caused by the electrode printing process. In the normal force direction the sensor sensitivity was found to be about fifth and in shear force directions about tenth of the corresponding values measured with the sensor with commercial electrodes. The sensitivity in this case, however, is still adequate for stress measurements on sole.
Keywords:
plantar stress, PVDF, printed electrodes
Download:
IMEKO-WC-2009-TC13-346.pdf
DOI:
-
Event details
Event name:
XIX IMEKO World Congress
Title:

Fundamental and Applied Metrology

Place:
Lisbon, PORTUGAL
Time:
06 September 2009 - 11 September 2009