Polymer-Based Flexible Strain Sensor

The design and characterization of polymer-based flexible strain sensors is presented. Characteristics as lightness and flexibility make them suitable for the measure of strain. Several sensors have been realized to analyze the influence of size and electrical conductivity on their behavior. Elongation and applied charge have been precisely controlled in order to measure different parameters as electrical resistance, gauge factor (GF), hysteresis and repeatability. The results clearly show the influence of size and electrical conductivity on the gauge factor, but it is also important to point out the necessity of controlling the hysteresis and repeatability of the response for precision demanding applications.