University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Sensitive, high-strain, high-rate bodily motion sensors based on graphene-rubber composites

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 11:42 authored by Conor S Boland, Umar Khan, Claudia Backes, Arlene O'Neill, Joe McCauley, Shane Duane, Ravi Shanker, Izabela Jurewicz, Alan DaltonAlan Dalton, Jonathan N Coleman
Monitoring of human bodily motion requires wearable sensors that can detect position, velocity and acceleration. They should be cheap, lightweight, mechanically compliant and display reasonable sensitivity at high strains and strain rates. No reported material has simultaneously demonstrated all the above requirements. Here we describe a simple method to infuse liquid-exfoliated graphene into natural rubber to create conducting composites. These materials are excellent strain sensors displaying 104-fold increases in resistance and working at strains exceeding 800%. The sensitivity is reasonably high, with gauge factors of up to 35 observed. More importantly, these sensors can effectively track dynamic strain, working well at vibration frequencies of at least 160 Hz. At 60 Hz, we could monitor strains of at least 6% at strain rates exceeding 6000%/s. We have used these composites as bodily motion sensors, effectively monitoring joint and muscle motion as well and breathing and pulse.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

ACS Nano

ISSN

1936-0851

Publisher

American Chemical Society

Issue

9

Volume

8

Page range

8819-8830

Department affiliated with

  • Physics and Astronomy Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Materials Physics Group Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-01-19

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-01-19

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC