Performance analysis of flexible printed sensors for robotic arm applications

The selection of the type of sensors used for robotic-arm applications holds a pivotal role in the work efficiency of the arms. Flexible sensors have been one of the popular choices for this application due to their dynamic advantages over the rigid ones. Among the different types of flexible sensors available in the market, Flexiforce sensors are one of the prominent ones, due to their low cost and simple operating principle. The dynamic range of pressure differs for the developed patches due to their difference in structure. The sensor developed with Carbon Nanotubes and Polydimethylsiloxane was found to be the most sensitive one, with the sensing pressure ranging between 14 Pa and 1.2 kPa. The outputs of these sensor patches were reproducible and reliable, based on their electrical and mechanical advantages compared to other commercially available sensors. This paper presents a performance analysis for some of the novel printed sensor prototypes with a commonly used commercial flex sensor. All of these sensor prototypes were developed using a laser-cutting technique. The idea behind this analysis is to identify novel flexible sensors for robotic arms for industrial applications with performance better than the existing ones.