Flexible Polymer-Based Pressure Sensor
GOAL:
To employ an array of MEMS flow sensors for the development of an ideal artificial lateral-line system that closely mimics the biological neuromasts on the body of many fish.
ARRAY DESIGN:
Structure: Pressure-concentrating diaphragms support conductive elastomer strain gauges whose resistances are measured using a four-point probe array.
Materials: Substrates and diaphragms are PDMS; strain gauge is a piezoresistive carbon black (CB)-PDMS composite.
• CB-PDMS strain gauge is screen patterned onto a PDMS substrate.
• Substrates are bonded together for waterproofing.
When mounted on the side of a kayak for open-water tests, the pressure response of the MEMS sensor is similar to that of a somewhat-nearby reference sensor.
CONCLUSIONS:
• Sensor is functional in an uncontrolled environment
• Sensor can be mounted on a doubly-curved surface
• Sensor resolution is ≈ 10 Pa
• Array power dissipation is ≈ 2μW per sensor