An additively manufactured pressure measurement system based on optical sensors

In this paper, a pressure measurement system is proposed based on reflective optical sensors. An array of nine sensors was embedded into a 3D multi-stack printed sample made of silicone rubber. The sample consisted of nine rectangular cells. The fabricated sample was designed to operate in medium- to high-pressure regimes. A customized Java-based application was developed to synchronize and automate the measurement process between a motorized force measurement test stand and a data acquisition system. The compression tests of a single cell showed good linearity and a dynamic range. Sensitivity and dynamic ranges of 0.001 kPa−1 and 1040 kPa, respectively, were obtained. Depending on the application, the sensitivity and dynamic range can be adjusted by changing the wall thickness of the cells. The proposed system exhibited good repeatability, durability, and dynamic stability over a wide range of applied pressures. The proposed pressure system has potential applications in sports biomechanics and health-monitoring systems.