3D Printed Capacitive Ink Sensors for Sustainable Electronics

Abstract

The current revolution of Internet of Things (IoT) and smart homes cannot be possible if the cost of current sensors and circuitry is not reduced. In this work we present an effective conductive ink/paint by experimenting with various materials under different compositions and use this conductive paint for the fabrication of capacitive sensors in the electrical circuits. Additionally, the proposed capacitive ink used for printing the sensors offers a lot of flexibility and creativity in designing the circuits. The conductive paint can be used in wearables because of its unique advantage of being very thin, water resistant and versatile to all surfaces. The capacitive ink proposed offers high conductivity and has demonstrated improved switching capability over the traditional capacitive sensors.