A flexible underwater pressure sensor array using a conductive elastomer strain gauge

Abstract

This paper presents a flexible underwater pressure sensor array which achieves a 1.5 pascal pressure resolution using a 16-bit analog/digital converter. Each sensor consists of a polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) diaphragm and a resistive strain gauge made of a conductive carbon black-PDMS composite. A functional linear array of four sensors with a 15 mm center-to-center spacing is demonstrated, and the dynamic response of the sensors is characterized and modeled.