A Textile-Based MWCNT-Coated Stretch Sensor for Body Size Measurements

Abstract

In this study, a textile-based stretch sensor with a polymer/conductor/polymer structure was fabricated using a paste of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the conductive material. A simple and practical method that integrates with the manufacturing methods employed in the garment industry was designed. The stretch sensor showed varying performance depending on the anchoring points, that is, the stretched part. When only the sensor was fixed, the linearity of the resistance and the sensitivity were good, though the durability was low. On the contrary, when the elastic band was fixed, the linearity of the resistance and sensitivity were low, and the durability was good. To verify whether the manufactured stretch sensor can be applied to body size measurement garments, we fabricated and evaluated a belt by measuring the waist and the hip sizes of 10 people. The strain spanned a wide range from 3% to 85%, and the resistance maintained its linearity. The results of this study indicate that the elastic difference between the stretch sensor and the surrounding fabric can lead to problems; hence, we suggest that materials and design be selected accordingly. © 2020, The Korean Physical Society.