Bending-Sensitive Optical Waveguide Sensor with Carbon-fiber Layer for Monitoring Grip Strength

• Published in: IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering Vol. 31; p. 1
• Main Authors: Zhang, Wuxiang, Jia, Hanze, Ju, Linhang, Shi, Yanjun, Ding, Xilun, Feng, Yanggang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 01.01.2023; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Antiperspirants; Biocompatibility; Carbon; Carbon Fiber; Carbon fibers; Constraining; Deformation; Electrical safety; Electromagnetic interference; Flexible components; Grasping; Grip force; Grip strength; Hand Strength; Human motion; Humans; Optiacl waveguide; Optical waveguide; Optical waveguides; Polynomials; Prostheses; Prostheses and Implants; Prosthetics; Sensors; soft sensor; Upper Extremity; wearable devices; Wearable Electronic Devices; Wearable technology
• ISSN: 1534-4320; 1558-0210
• DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2023.3263227

With the gradual popularity of wearable devices, the demand for high-performance flexible wearable sensors is also increasing. Flexible sensors based on the optical principle have advantages e.g. anti-electromagnetic interference, antiperspirant, inherent electrical safety, and the potential for biocompatibility. In this study, an optical waveguide sensor integrating a carbon fiber layer, fully constraining stretching deformation, partly constraining pressing deformation, and allowing bending deformation, was proposed. The sensitivity of the proposed sensor is three times higher than that of the sensor without a carbon fiber layer, and good repeatability is maintained. We also attached the proposed sensor to the upper limb to monitor grip force, and the sensor signal showed a good correlation with grip force (the R-squared of the quadratic polynomial fitting was 0.9827) and showed a linear relationship when the grip force was greater than 10 N (the R-squared of the linear fitting was 0.9523). The proposed sensor has the potential for applications in recognizing the intention of human movement to help the amputees control the prostheses.