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'iSoft' Makes Any Object an Interactive Device - Even Fabric

A new type of tactile sensor created at Purdue University  can be easily embedded into fabrics - potentially enabling anything to become an interactive device. 'iSoft' senses in real-time and can perform 'multimodal' sensing, or sensing a variety of stimuli such as continuous contact and stretching in all directions. It does not require any wiring or electronics within the material. Unlike some soft sensors developed previously, iSoft can handle continuous contact and also can be easily modified for custom purposes after manufacture. The sensor uses a piezoresistive elastomer, which when touched changes electrical resistance that provides sensing data. The technology is promising for various applications, from artificial skin in robotics to health monitoring, sports medicine, and tactile clothing as an interactive interface.

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Automation Electronics & Computers Internet of Things Medical Monitoring Patient Monitoring Robotics Sensors Test & Measurement

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    Transcript

    00:00:05 I'm studying on the input sensing techniques for human-computer interactions and I'm dealing with the tangible and soft interfaces. Previously it was very hard to personalize their own interface using the soft materials. With our approach, we can actually provide users the power of the customization for bringing their own personal interfaces. -We wanted to explore the idea of turning interactive objects more intelligent, for instance. And the idea of using a soft material as a sensor is very attractive. You may want to connect it to a TV, or you may want to connect it to a game controller, or you may want to put it on a lamp, or you may want to put it on the back of your phone, or you may want to put it on your coat and make this interactive. You can literally use

    00:00:55 anything around you as a controller or as an interactive object to play with, or to turn things on, and make things move, or just have fun with it! The base material we use is the carbon-based elastomer. We actually fabricate in-house using the t-shirt heat press. Cure the material in one minute. The cost of the material itself is less than four dollars for a letter size sensor. Because of the nature of this soft material, we can actually implement multi motor sensing, meaning not even touch, but stretching and bending is also sensible. -If you give a stretching interface to somebody, they'll come up with a lot of things to do with it! Giving this kit to somebody is the main idea. So they have a platform. Now they can create anything that they can

    00:01:45 fool with. So you can come up with an idea now, and within half an hour, we have that implemented. It's up to the people's imagination!