Development of a Stretchable and Flexible Conductive Fabric based Sensorized Pneumatic Artificial Muscle

Stretchable conductive textiles are widely used in the customizable flexible strain, force and pressure sensors for developing highly compliant components in bio-robotics. The article presents the characterization process of such a stretchable conductive fabric. The Pneumatic artificial muscles, viable lightweight and compliant alternatives to conventional actuators that require specialized sensors to monitor their axial contraction according to the degree of miniaturization. In order to avoid an arduous process of fabrication involved in conductive liquid metal-based sensors, an alternative economical and easily developable sensing system is introduced. Based upon the results of the characterization process, the appropriate sensing elements are chosen to develop a serial sensing element-based sensor with a good gauge factor. Such sensors have potential applications in other areas like human joint monitoring, soft robotics, etc. where a good gauge factor is required to maintain the same form factor, without inhibiting any natural motion of the user.