Sensorizing objects with soft and flexible sensors based on Laser-Induced Graphene

Giovanna De Luca, Anna Chiara Bressi, Martina Maselli, Francesco Greco, Matteo Cianchetti

Abstract: Monitoring interaction with objects during manipulation exercises in telerehabilitation allows clinicians to make therapy more personalized and adaptive. In this study we propose to measure the contact pressure, employing a soft, thin, easily fabricated, and cost-effective sensor based on Laser-Induced Graphene. Unlike self-sensorized objects and wearable devices, the proposed sensor can be attached easily to various objects guaranteeing a great variability of exercises without causing discomfort or restricting the hand movement’s range. In addition, the versatility of the design and the materials chosen are intended to lead to a user-friendly therapy and more economically sustainable rehabilitation. The results show how the sensor can detect pressures ranging from 0 to 100 kPa with a good sensitivity, allowing a custom threshold to be set as desired. We identified three different pressure levels (low, medium and high) useful for extracting contact information with objects or controlling interactive exercises.

External IDs:dblp:conf/embc/LucaBMGC24