Design of pressure sensor array with reduced number of wires

This research aims at building a sensor array system to identify contact pressure distribution between the sensor and its environment. The main characteristic of this sensor array is that very few wires are needed to realize the data acquisition of many sensor units (called sencels) using a frequency modulation method. The repeatability, accuracy and working range of the sensor were experimentally tested. The sensitivity of individual sencels in the sensor array was also studied. This technology could be used as a skin sensor array for colonoscopes to avoid bowel perforation. Such surgical complications can be very severe and even life threatening.