Multifunctional flexible PVDF-TrFE/BaTiO3 based tactile sensor for touch and temperature monitoring

This paper presents an enhanced piezoelectricity based sensor for touch and temperature sensing. The sensor is realized over flexible polyimide film, making it suitable for application like e-skin. The sensing material is composed of Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) and Barium Titanate (BaTiO
₃
) nanoparticles. While, the piezoelectric polymer PVDF-TrFE ensures the flexibility of sensor, BaTiO
₃
imparts high sensitivity to touch and temperature. The sensor is tested over temperature range which is common in daily life and the sensitivity to touch is characterized by tapping mode using fixed load. The results confirms the advantage of using poly-ceramic composite over piezoelectric polymer.