Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Rutveek Ingawale, Junior
Lead Presenter's Name
Rutveek Ingawale
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Engineering
Faculty Mentor Name
Foram Madiyar
Abstract
In recent years, pressure sensing technologies have improved a lot in the aerospace industry, leading to many new applications. Accurate pressure sensing is crucial in space, where even subtle changes in force distribution can provide valuable insights into astronaut health and equipment performance. Prolonged exposure to microgravity during space missions significantly impacts astronauts' musculoskeletal health, particularly bone density, leading to spaceflight osteopenia. Prolonged space travel weakens bones, increasing the risk of fractures. Thus, it is necessitating innovative solutions for monitoring and mitigating bone density loss. This study explores a novel approach to astronaut health monitoring by integrating self-healing polymer (SHP) pressure sensors into footwear, enabling real-time tracking of bone health in microgravity. By utilizing a dual-layer dielectric structure composed of self-healing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibre electrodes, the sensors provide enhanced durability and sensitivity compared to traditional pressure sensors. The fabrication process includes spin-coating 3D-printed micropillar molds with polyacrylic acid-treated PDMS and electrospinning PVDF fibres onto PET film with a silver paint layer. The sensor's performance was evaluated under varying pressures, demonstrating excellent resilience and repeatability. Preliminary results with the soft PDMS showed significant sensitivity improvements with the dual-layer configuration, marking a 76.49% increase in PDMS sensors and a 26.95% improvement in Soft PDMS-based sensors. This proposal aims to self-healing characteristics which will aid to controlled damage and environmental stress evaluations, highlights the robustness and reliability of the self-healing mechanism. These findings will show the sensor's potential to revolutionize space healthcare by enabling continuous bone health monitoring, helping to make long-term space exploration safer and more efficient.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Dual-layer Dielectric Self-Healing Pressure Sensor for Monitoring Bone Health in Microgravity
In recent years, pressure sensing technologies have improved a lot in the aerospace industry, leading to many new applications. Accurate pressure sensing is crucial in space, where even subtle changes in force distribution can provide valuable insights into astronaut health and equipment performance. Prolonged exposure to microgravity during space missions significantly impacts astronauts' musculoskeletal health, particularly bone density, leading to spaceflight osteopenia. Prolonged space travel weakens bones, increasing the risk of fractures. Thus, it is necessitating innovative solutions for monitoring and mitigating bone density loss. This study explores a novel approach to astronaut health monitoring by integrating self-healing polymer (SHP) pressure sensors into footwear, enabling real-time tracking of bone health in microgravity. By utilizing a dual-layer dielectric structure composed of self-healing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibre electrodes, the sensors provide enhanced durability and sensitivity compared to traditional pressure sensors. The fabrication process includes spin-coating 3D-printed micropillar molds with polyacrylic acid-treated PDMS and electrospinning PVDF fibres onto PET film with a silver paint layer. The sensor's performance was evaluated under varying pressures, demonstrating excellent resilience and repeatability. Preliminary results with the soft PDMS showed significant sensitivity improvements with the dual-layer configuration, marking a 76.49% increase in PDMS sensors and a 26.95% improvement in Soft PDMS-based sensors. This proposal aims to self-healing characteristics which will aid to controlled damage and environmental stress evaluations, highlights the robustness and reliability of the self-healing mechanism. These findings will show the sensor's potential to revolutionize space healthcare by enabling continuous bone health monitoring, helping to make long-term space exploration safer and more efficient.