Fabrication and Sensing Characterization of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Sensors for Human Motion Monitoring

This work presents the fabrication and a systematic evaluation of an ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) sensor, focusing on its potential for human motion monitoring and human-computer interaction. The sensor was fabricated via a solution casting and electroless plating process, and its morphology characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The sensing performance was comprehensively assessed, revealing high sensitivity (1.059 mV/N) in the low-pressure region, a fast response time (~50 ms), and reliable stability over prolonged cyclic testing. Furthermore, the sensor can respond to both the magnitude and rate of applied mechanical stimuli. To explore its application potential, the IPMC was tested in scenarios ranging from input pattern recognition-including distinguishing mouse-click patterns, handwritten letters, and binary-encoded presses-to human motion monitoring, where it effectively captured and differentiated signals from facial expressions, swallowing, breathing, and joint movements. The results suggest that the developed IPMC sensor is a promising candidate for applications in wearable health monitoring and flexible interactive systems.