Stabilizing electrical contact resistance in flexible tactile sensors using Ag-Cu/PEG hybrid composites
Journal
Sensors and Actuators A: Physical
Journal Volume
399
ISSN
0924-4247
Date Issued
2026-03
Author(s)
Karmakar, Rajat Subhra
Huang, Chia-Ching
Huang, Jhih-Fong
Chao, Jui-I
Hsueh, Chun-Hway
Abstract
Instability of electrical contact resistance (ECR) remains a major barrier to the reliability of resistive tactile sensors. This study introduces a materials-driven strategy that embeds silver-coated copper (Ag-Cu) microparticles in a polyethylene glycol (PEG) matrix to stabilise interfacial contacts under mechanical loading. The Ag-Cu fillers form conductive bridges and interfacial interlocking within the composite, directly addressing the drift and hysteresis that typically limit ECR-based devices. A pentagon-knot origami structure was employed to amplify pressure response, yielding a peak sensitivity of 7.3 kPa⁻¹ at 0.05 kPa with 10 wt% Ag-Cu loading. Long-term cycling confirmed stability, and integration into a physiotherapeutic foam roller demonstrated applicability for real-time monitoring of muscle pressure during exercise. These results establish ECR stabilisation through particle–matrix interface engineering as a scalable route toward robust and sensitive pressure sensor for wearable and human-interactive systems.
Subjects
Ag-Cu particles
Electrical contact resistance (ECR)
Flexible tactile sensor
Pentagon-knot origami structure
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) composites
Wearable application
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Type
journal article