3D printed soft and flexible insole with intrinsic pressure sensing capability

Ntagios, M. and Dahiya, R. (2023) 3D printed soft and flexible insole with intrinsic pressure sensing capability. IEEE Sensors Journal, 23(20), pp. 23995-24003. (doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2022.3179233)

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Abstract

This work presents a soft, flexible, and low-cost capacitive pressure-sensitive insole developed using resource-efficient single-step 3D printing method. Developed using elastomeric materials, the soft and robust sensory insole can bend and twist in extreme angles. The insole is designed to have four sensing zones to capture the pressure information from the entire contact area. The sensors tested under different condition of applied pressure showed reliable response up to 300kPa without saturation. The sensors exhibit a sensitivity of 2.4MPa-1 for range of 0 - 60kPa and 0.526MPa-1 for 60kPa and above with average sensitivity of 1.314 MPa-1 in the entire range. The insole was also tested under varying bending and temperature conditions. Considering the excellent response over a wide pressure range, the presented insole could be used for gait analysis or with anthropomorphic robots for critical information about the terrain morphology. To show the functionality of presented insole, we have also developed an app to display the sensory information obtained via custom-made electronics circuit.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This work was supported in part by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through Engineering Fellowship for Growth—neuPRINTSKIN under Grant EPR/R029644/1, in part by the National Productivity Investment Fund under Grant EP/R512266/1, and in part by Shadow Robot Company Ltd., U.K.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Dahiya, Professor Ravinder and Ntagios, Markellos
Authors: Ntagios, M., and Dahiya, R.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
Journal Name:IEEE Sensors Journal
Publisher:IEEE
ISSN:1530-437X
ISSN (Online):1558-1748
Published Online:10 June 2022
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2022 The Authors
First Published:First published in IEEE Sensors Journal 23(20):23995-24003
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons license

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
301728Engineering Fellowships for Growth: Printed Tactile SKINRavinder DahiyaEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EP/R029644/1ENG - Electronics & Nanoscale Engineering
300756NPIF EPSRC Doctoral - University of Glasgow 2017Neil BoweringEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EP/R512266/1S&E - Research Administration