Intelligent Medical Velostat Pressure Sensor Mat Based on Artificial Neural Network and Arduino Embedded System

The promising research on flexible and tactile sensors requires conducting polymer materials and an accurate system for the transduction of pressure into electrical signals. In this paper, the intelligent sensitive mat, based on Velostat, which is a polymeric material impregnated with carbon black, is investigated. Various designs and geometries for home-made sensor mats have been proposed, and their electrical and mechanical properties, including reproducibility, have been studied through the tests performed. The mat pressure sensors have been interfaced with an Arduino microcontroller in order to monitor, read with high precision, and control the variation of the resistance under applied pressure. An approximation method was then developed based on a neural network algorithm to explore the relationship between different mat shapes, the pressure and stresses applied on the mat, the resistance of the conductive Velostat material, and the number of active sensing cells in order to control system input signal management.