Fondazione Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia

Fondazione Istituto Italiano Di Technologia

Lucia Beccai

Virgilio Mattoli

Paolo Dario

Barbara Mazzolai

Francesco Greco

Majid Taghavi

Composite material comprising a matrix of elastic and electrically insulating material, and a filler of electrically conducting material embedded within the matrix. The filler forms a conductive path defining an active electrode adapted to be associated with a reference electrode for forming an electrical signal output. A deformable gap is formed between an outer surface of the conductive path and an inner surface of the matrix, in such a way that the application of a mechanical load to the composite material causes the surface of the conductive path and the surface of the matrix to be brought closer together, and the removal of the mechanical load causes the surface of the conductive path and the surface of the matrix to be moved away from one another as a result of the elastic force of the material of the matrix.

Triboelectric composite for mechanical energy harvesting and sensing

A human skin moisture measuring device having an interdigitated resistive sensor formed on a plate-like transparent support is described, with a face designed to be placed into contact with the skin to be subjected to the moisture degree measurement. The device further comprises image sensing means turned towards the opposite face of the support and a lighting device arranged sideways relative to the support to direct the light radiation in the support at a prefixed angle. Means for processing the signal coming from the interdigitated resistive sensor and from the image sensing means give as output a value of the measured moisture degree that is normalized with respect to the actual surface of contact between skin and sensor.

Sensing moisture level of human skin

Growing community of inventors

Leghorn, Italy

Lucia Beccai