Shear sensing based on a microstrip patch antenna

A microstrip patch antenna sensor was studied for shear sensing with a targeted application of measuring plantar shear distribution on a diabetic foot. The antenna shear sensor consists of three components, namely an antenna patch, a soft foam substrate and a slotted ground plane. The resonant frequency of the antenna sensor is sensitive to the overlapping length between the slot in the ground plane and the antenna patch. A shear force applied along the direction of the slot deforms the foam substrate and causes a change in the overlapping length, which can be detected from the antenna frequency shift. The antenna shear sensor was designed based on simulated antenna frequency response and validated by experiments. Experimental results indicated that the antenna sensor exhibits high sensitivity to shear deformation and responds to the applied shear loads with excellent linearity and repeatability.