Electrical characterization of three-dimensional graphene infused polymers

In recent years, three-dimensional graphene materials have been emerging in the spotlight for its potential for multiple applications. This is due to the material possessing excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, biological inertness and mechanical stability. One of such potential applications is its usage as a tactile sensor. In the field of robotics, tactile sensors play a crucial role in the interactions between robot and the environment. A tactile sensor helps to gauge and measure the amount of force applied to the robot by an object or the environment and vice versa. This capability is not possible through the means of visual sensors alone. In this two-part project, the excellent electrical conductivity of the three-dimensional graphene foam is being used to determine the amount of stress or strain that is applied to the tactile sensor. This is done so by studying the electrical characteristics of a stretchable tactile sensor. For the part in this report, the focus will be on the placed on the fabrication of the tactile sensor. The tactile sensor used for experimentation in this project is put together using graphene foam infused with poly(dimethyl siloxane). The graphene foam is fabricated using a chemical vapour deposition technique with Nickel as its base. Multiple variations of the fabrication method will be experimented on to find the optimal production procedure. One variation example is the type of connection method in which the rectangular electrical contact with lesser surface area is compared to the ring-shaped electrical contact which has larger surface area. Although larger surface area theoretically provides higher electrical conductivity, it reduces the durability of the sensor. Thus, a balance will be determined in the experimentations. The different samples produced will be tested in terms of flexibility and stretchability along with durability to determine the best working combination.Bachelor of Engineerin