PDMS Encapsulated Graphene-Nickel Composite Film as Flexible Tactile Sensor

We report the fabrication of a flexible tactile sensor using Graphene-Ni composite film encapsulated in Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Synthesis of Graphene was carried out by modified Hummer's method. The composite material was characterized by XRD and FE-SEM to analyze their structural and morphological properties. PDMS films were formed using spin coating of liquid PDMS on a metal substrate. Graphene - Ni composite film was screen printed on PDMS. The sensor, encapsulated in PDMS, was found to be highly flexible, cost effective and involved simple fabrication procedure. In the present work, this sensor was used to monitor wrist movement. The device was found to be highly sensitive with a reported gauge factor of 8.08. The piezoresistive device can be used to monitor wide range of muscle movements with high sensitivity. The sensor finds potential applications in healthcare, robotic applications and consumer electronics