Fabric pressure sensor array fabricated with die-coating and weaving techniques

We report on the fabrication and characterization of a large area (handkerchief-size, i.e., >16 cm x 16 cm) of pressure sensor fabric. The sensor is constructed by weaving the fibers, which are coated with the organic conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS) and a dielectric film of perfluoropolymer (Cytop), and the capacitances at the points of the crossed fibers vary with the applied force. The functional films are continuously coated with die-coating system with the thickness ranging from hundreds nm to several mu m. The resultant fibers are loomed, forming the sensor fabric with an area of 16 cm x 16 cm. Its sensitivity ranged from 0.98 to 9.8 N/cm(2), which is within the range of human touch. Therefore, our fabric touch sensors could lead to applications from wearable keyboards to sensors embedded in beds for health care purposes. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.