Abstract

Pressure injuries cause pain both physically and financially. By creating a comfortable pressure mapping system, pressure injuries can more easily be prevented, and a large expenditure avoided. Nano composite piezo-responsive foam (NCPF) is an inexpensive foam that can be used to measure a static load while still providing a comfortable interface. As NCPF compresses, the impedance changes, correlating to a change in pressure. Optimizing electrode geometry is needed to take full advantage of the impedance change NCPF incurs upon deformation. To optimize electrode geometry, a design of experiment was performed which concluded that a one square inch area of interlaced finger electrodes provides the largest change in impedance with a finger gap of 1.5 mm. The optimized electrode geometry is utilized in several demonstrations including a modular design allowing a wide range of surfaces to be mapped using the same hardware. By building a phenomenological model, NCPF output voltage is converted to pressure readings with an RMSE of 8.02%. This model provides evidence that using NCPF as a pressure sensor is a viable path to creating smart objects that an individual interacts with daily. In addition to the modular design, this technology is demonstrated in pressure sensing gloves and pressure plates, highlighting the feasibility of NCPF as a pressure sensing medium. Each system developed with NCPF is outfitted with an iOS application which allows for real time system feedback as well as record keeping capabilities.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering

Rights

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