Pulsipher, Kyle; Despain, Dillon; Wood, David; Fullwood, David T.; Bowden, Anton E. (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bowden, Anton (Brigham Young University - Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering); Fullwood, David (Brigham Young University - Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering)
Design and Testing of Flexible Wiring Systems in Biomechanical Devices
Kyle Pulsipher, Dillon Despain, David Wood, David T. Fullwood, Anton E. Bowden
A major challenge to wearable electronic devices is the implementation of required wiring and hardware that can accommodate large deformations and strain. For example, several current biomechanical engineering projects utilize a nanocomposite, wide-range, wearable strain sensing technology developed at BYU. Our research challenge was to create a wearable system of conductive links between a multi-sensor system and a microcontroller, while keeping the system low-profile, inexpensive, and functional when experiencing strains of at least 60%.
Several solutions were hypothesized and tested, including experimental silicone composite solutions with dispersed conductive nanofillers. Mechanical solutions were also contemplated, in the form of geometrically positioning a traditional wire in such a way that it could strain the required amount.
Our final solution utilizes a fine-gauge wire shaped into a sine curve, whose period and amplitude are controlled, such that the stretched length (the arc length of the sine curve) is a required strain factor longer than the period of the function. The wire is coated in an elastic silicone body that maintains the wire at the unstrained shape and length. Our implementation provides 130% of the wiring system and accommodates 16 independent sensor connections.
The wiring system is positioned in such a way that the wires are hidden in the artistic form of the sensing system. This electrical structure is both highly practical and aesthetically pleasing.