The Programmable Design of Large-Area Piezoresistive Textile Sensors Using Manufacturing by Jacquard Processing

Abstract

Among wearable e-textiles, conductive textile yarns are of particular interest because they can be used as flexible and wearable sensors without affecting the usual properties and comfort of the textiles. Firstly, this study proposed three types of piezoresistive textile sensors, namely, single-layer, double-layer, and quadruple-layer, to be made by the Jacquard processing method. This method enables the programmable design of the sensor’s structure and customizes the sensor’s sensitivity to work more efficiently in personalized applications. Secondly, the sensor range and coefficient of determination showed that the sensor is reliable and suitable for many applications. The dimensions of the proposed sensors are 20 × 20 cm, and the thicknesses are under 0.52 mm. The entire area of the sensor is a pressure-sensitive spot. Thirdly, the effect of layer density on the performance of the sensors showed that the single-layer pressure sensor has a thinner thickness and faster response time than the multilayer pressure sensor. Moreover, the sensors have a quick response time (<50 ms) and small hysteresis. Finally, the hysteresis will increase according to the number of conductive layers. Many tests were carried out, which can provide an excellent knowledge database in the context of large-area piezoresistive textile sensors using manufacturing by Jacquard processing. The effects of the percolation of CNTs, thickness, and sheet resistance on the performance of sensors were investigated. The structural and surface morphology of coating samples and SWCNTs were evaluated by using a scanning electron microscope. The structure of the proposed sensor is expected to be an essential step toward realizing wearable signal sensing for next-generation personalized applications.