Ferroelectric polymer tactile sensors for prostheses

Abstract

The use of ferroelectric polymers such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF₂) for tactile sensors for prostheses has been investigated. A few sensory capabilities peculiar to human skin, such as the ability to measure contact pressure, to evaluate hardness of different materials, to ‘‘feel'’ roughness and the surface textures of different objects and to discriminate materials on the basis of their thermal conductivity, have been identified as potentially reproducible by PVF₂ sensors. Different PVF₂ transducers have been designed and constructed to study the possibility of mimicking each sensory capability. Details of sensors construction are given, results of testing are discussed and some problems are identified. Based on experimental results we conclude that the development of a sensorized skin-like transducer for prostheses based on the use of ferroelectric polymers is feasible.