MWCNT-coated hemp fabric as a wide-range flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor for human motion monitoring and gesture recognition
摘要
Flexible pressure sensors (FPSs) are gaining widespread attention for their potential applications in areas such as human kinematic studies and human–machine interfaces. The development of sustainable, low-cost, easy-to-manufacture piezoresistive composites that ensure reliability in FPS fabrication has remained a consistent focus. In this study, we present a facile approach for preparing hemp fabric-based piezoresistive composites to fabricate cost-effective FPSs. The hemp fabric is impregnated with acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through a simple dip-and-dry process. With an optimized MWCNT loading of 1.33 wt%, the MWCNT/hemp-based FPS operates within a pressure range of 0–300 kPa, displaying sensitivities of 0.2358, 0.02561, 0.00307, and 0.00054 kPa−1 for the pressure intervals of 0–1 kPa, 1–6 kPa, 6–30 kPa, and 30–300 kPa, respectively. It also demonstrates a fast response time of 125 ms, a relaxation time of 42 ms, and impressive electromechanical durability exceeding 5300 cycles. The FPS shows significant promise for applications in human kinematics monitoring and gesture recognition. In addition to exhibiting high sensitivity in low-pressure conditions, the FPS is capable of responding to a broad pressure range of up to 300 kPa, attributed to the strong fibrous and porous structure of the hemp fabric.