New flexible sensor ‘could aid development of medical devices’

Scientists have developed an inexpensive sensor that could be used as the basis for a new generation of flexible electronics for various applications.

Created by the University of British Columbia, the sensor consists of a highly conductive gel between layers of silicone that can detect different types of touch, including swiping and tapping, even when stretched, folded or bent.

Although the prototype measures only five sq cm, it could be easily scaled up, as it uses inexpensive and widely available materials. This means it could be applied to a handheld device, a whole-body coating or even a room-sized version.

Possible applications include foldable smartphones, artificial skins to sense the body's movements and vital signs, or robotic skins to improve the safety of interactions between humans and robots.

Researcher Mirza Saquib Sarwar, a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering at the University of British Columbia, said: "There are sensors that can detect pressure … and some that can detect a hovering finger. There are also sensors that are foldable, transparent and stretchable. Our contribution is a device that combines all those functions in one compact package."

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