This research delves into an innovative approach to layer jamming, where the jamming structure serves a dual purpose: jamming and pressure sensing. The tunable stiffness technique empowers soft grippers to manage both their grip strength and rigidity. To bolster stiffness control, a piezoresistive sensor is integrated, monitoring changes in resistance during gripping operations. This is achieved by stacking multiple thin layers of MWCNT-polyurethane acrylate material within an elastomer envelope, forming the gripper's jamming structure and pressure sensor. The sensor fabrication combines Direct Ink Writing and Digital Light Projection printing methods, while the gripper itself is crafted from Polydimethylsiloxane and Ecoflex. Utilizing resistance value shifts from the sensor, we optimize gripping performance. Experimental validations confirm the efficacy of the sensing and layer jamming approaches. Precise gripper stiffness control is achieved through data gleaned from the sensor's force measurements. Furthermore, this study illuminates potential applications in healthcare and the wearable technology industry.
Hydrogen gas is a common byproduct in industrial and chemical processes. It is also frequently used in transportation applications such as fuel cell vehicles. It has no smell and no taste, but it may pose immediate safety risks because it is combustible in air. Multi-modal hydrogen sensors are developed by depositing nanofibers on quartz tuning forks (QTF). Near field electrospinning (NFES) was used to produce flexible, semi-conductive nanofibers that can be integrated into electronic systems as environmental gas sensors. The electrospinning parameters, especially tip-to-collector distance, were optimized to increase sensor performance. Treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes, camphorsulfonic acid doped polyaniline and platinum nanoparticles were used as the sensing materials with polyethylene oxide being used as an electrospinning guide. Intense pulsed light and sputter coating were used to maximize adhesion of the fibers onto the devices. The QTF sensor combines mechanical and electrochemical sensing methodologies. Changes in the resonance frequency were used to determine gas adsorption. Changes in the electrical resistance were used to determine the gas properties. As a result, the sensors were selective to hydrogen versus other gases and vapors including methane, hexane, toluene, ammonia, ethanol and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the sensors can detect ppm levels of hydrogen even in the presence of high humidity.
Conference Committee Involvement (7)
Soft Mechatronics and Wearable Systems 2025
17 March 2025 | Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Soft Mechatronics and Wearable Systems
25 March 2024 | Long Beach, California, United States
Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems 2023
13 March 2023 | Long Beach, California, United States
Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors, and Wearable Systems
7 March 2022 | Long Beach, California, United States
Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors and Wearable Systems
22 March 2021 | Online Only, California, United States
Nano-, Bio-, Info-Tech Sensors and 3D Systems
27 April 2020 | Online Only, California, United States
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