Carbon black loaded paper : an intelligent substrate for electronic sensors design

Abstract

Pressure and position sensors are usual components of many electronic devices. They equip cars and planes for security and presence sensing, industrial automated systems and many other Human-Interface Devices for medicine and kinesiology robotics, video games, etc. We present alternative ways to develop our selves these sensors using a low cost material: conductive paper loaded with carbon black pigments. We show that such a paper can be easily used to develop position, pressure and flexion sensors and that it is a good basis to develop more refined sensors such as accelerometers or tilt sensors for shock sensing with smart packaging. We last compare a few trials to produce oneself this paper using conventional fibers such as TMP, chemical or recycled pulp using classic laboratory handsheet formers and mixing those with industrial carbon black loaded papers.