Optimization of All-Textile Capacitive Sensor Array for Smart Chair

All-textile capacitive sensor arrays made of a polyurethane foam, fabric and electrically-conducting yarn were fabricated for ‘smart chair’. Polyurethane foam slab that functioned as dielectric medium was encased between two pieces commercially available fabric. The used to embroider the capacitor electrodes on both pieces. completed investigated under normal compressive load with targeted pressure range 2 30 kPa chair seat 8 backrest. capacitance versus exhibited load/unload hysteresis all arrays. modelled sigmoid function much narrower observed when sensors loaded simultaneously, opposed their individual loading, allowing development phenomenological model former. Among studied arrays, array dimensions cm $\times 30$ 10-mm-thick density ~18.6 kg/m 3 most suitable following reasons: (a) unloaded ~2.7 pF, (b) location did not affect its response, (c) ~10 kg applied across raised by ~12 (d) 60 uniformly whole increased ~5 pF. During compression top affected sensor’s electro-mechanical response elastic would be favored applications non-uniform distribution.