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 × 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 μm. The resultant fibers are loomed, forming the sensor fabric with an area of 16 cm × 16 cm. Its sensitivity ranged from 0.98 to 9.8 N/cm2, 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.