Developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), force stickers are made of a very thin capacitor that changes its electric charge when force is exerted upon it. An RFID chip measures and communicates the change to the user.
“Humans, by nature, possess an inherent ability to sense force,” said Dinesh Bharadia, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCSD. “This allows us to interact seamlessly with our surroundings and enables clinicians to perform delicate surgical procedures. Providing this force-sensing ability to electronic devices and medical implants could be a game-changer for many industries.”
The capacitor can be made more or less flexible, meaning it can be tailored for different applications. Placed in an artificial knee joint, for example, a softer sticker could check an implant’s fit or track wear and tear.
Future research will work to make the force stickers readable by smartphone.
Source: University of California San Diego
