Textile-Based Weft Knitted Strain Sensors: Effect of Fabric Parameters on Sensor Properties

The design and development of textile-based strain sensors has been a focus of research and many investigators have studied this subject. This paper presents a new textile-based strain sensor design and shows the effect of base fabric parameters on its sensing properties. Sensing fabric could be used to measure articulations of the human body in the real environment. The strain sensing fabric was produced by using electronic flat-bed knitting technology; the base fabric was produced with elastomeric yarns in an interlock arrangement and a conductive yarn was embedded in this substrate to create a series of single loop structures. Experimental results show that there is a strong relationship between base fabric parameters and sensor properties.

[1]  T. Kannaian,et al.  Development and characterisation of elastomeric tape sensor fabrics for elbow angle measurement , 2011 .

[2]  R. Ruoff,et al.  Stretchable and highly sensitive graphene-on-polymer strain sensors , 2012, Scientific Reports.

[3]  Chien-Lung Shen,et al.  A Wearable Textile for Monitoring Respiration, Using a Yarn-Based Sensor , 2006, 2006 10th IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers.

[4]  X. Tao,et al.  Conductive knitted fabric as large-strain gauge under high temperature , 2006 .

[5]  X. Tao,et al.  Electro-Mechanical Properties of Knitted Fabric Made From Conductive Multi-Filament Yarn Under Unidirectional Extension , 2005 .

[6]  D. De Rossi,et al.  Wearable sensing garment for posture detection, rehabilitation and tele-medicine , 2003, 4th International IEEE EMBS Special Topic Conference on Information Technology Applications in Biomedicine, 2003..

[7]  G. Loriga,et al.  Flat Knitted Sensors for Respiration Monitoring , 2007, 2007 IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics.

[8]  Liang Zhang,et al.  Modelling the Electrical Property of 1×1 Rib Knitted Fabrics Made from Conductive Yarns , 2009, 2009 Second International Conference on Information and Computing Science.

[9]  Li Guo,et al.  Design of a garment-based sensing system for breathing monitoring , 2013 .

[10]  Noel E. O'Connor,et al.  Breathing Feedback System with Wearable Textile Sensors , 2010, 2010 International Conference on Body Sensor Networks.

[11]  Yi Li,et al.  Electromechanical analysis of conductive yarn knitted in plain knitting stitch under unidirectional extension , 2008 .

[12]  G. Tröster,et al.  Sensor for Measuring Strain in Textile , 2008, Sensors.

[13]  Paul Kiekens,et al.  Predicting fabric weight per unit area of single- and double-knitted structures using appropriate software , 2006 .

[14]  Enzo Pasquale Scilingo,et al.  Strain-sensing fabrics for wearable kinaesthetic-like systems , 2003 .

[15]  X. Tao,et al.  Electromechanical Behavior of Fibers Coated with an Electrically Conductive Polymer , 2004 .

[16]  E.J. Cha,et al.  Wearable transducer to monitor respiration in a wireless way , 2007, 2007 6th International Special Topic Conference on Information Technology Applications in Biomedicine.

[17]  A. Horrocks,et al.  Handbook of technical textiles , 2000 .