Step 6: Plunge Wires

Prepare and Insert Wires

step6-1.jpg
  • Cut a length of thin electrical wire (i.e. 36 AWG). The length of wire needed depends on your application, here we use 15-20 cm.
  • Strip the wire ends to expose 2-3 mm which will be inserted into the soft sensor.
  • Grab the wire end with tweezers and push it into the soft sensor, following the path left by the syringe.
  • Push it in until the wire comes in contact with the round EGaIn channel end.
  • Repeat this process for the other channel end.

 

Test and Seal

step6-3.jpg
  • Touch a multimeter to both loose wire ends to make sure that the connection is intact.

 

 

 

 

 

step6-4.jpg
  • Add Silpoxy to the area where the wire is inserted into the sensor, covering any exposed metal and making sure to coat a few mm of the wire as well.
  • This seals the EGaIn in the sensor and prevents the wires from slipping out.

 

 

 

Bibliography

Mengüç et al. (2013) Soft Wearable Motion Sensing Suit for Lower Limb Biomechanics Measurements.

Mengüç et al. (To appear in 2014) Wearable Soft Sensing Suit for Human Gait Measurement.

Miserez et al. (2008) The Transition from Stiff to Compliant Materials in Squid Beaks.

Muth et al. (2014) Embedded 3D Printing of Strain Sensors within Highly Stretchable Elastomers.

Vogt, D. M., Park, Y. L., & Wood, R. J. (2013). Design and Characterization of a Soft Multi-Axis Force Sensor Using Embedded Microfluidic Channels.

Contributors

Yiğit Mengüç