Measurement and Evaluation of Tactile Sensations using a PVDF Sensor

Abstract

This study focuses on the measurement and evaluation of tactile sensations of various fabrics. First, tactile data on six pieces of underwear and seven pieces of polo shirts are collected through a questionnaire and the dominant factors of feelings of wearability are determined through factor analysis. Next, a tactile sensor with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film as the sensory receptor and a sensor apparatus are assembled. The base of the sensor is an aluminum cylinder, around which a rubber sponge layer, a PVDF film, a protective layer of acetate film, and lace are stacked in sequence. The sensor is set on the rotational axis of a motor and a measurement object is placed on the sensor. Then, the sensor is turned to collect tactile information on the object. Features of the collected data are extracted by calculating the average amplitude of low frequency signals, the variance of sensor output, and the power intensity in a medium frequency range. Comparison with the results shows that the PVDF sensor well describes the human tactile perception.