A prototype of a road safety sensor that can be implanted at high-risk turning points where accidents are frequent, has been developed from a new polymer nanocomposite with pressure sensing and energy harvesting properties.
Scientists are constantly trying to develop new materials for self-powered energy generating and pressure sensing devices and using them for several applications. Flexible, portable, long-lasting, and wearable sensors and energy harvesting devices can play an essential part in today’s artificial intelligence era. Polymers and nanoparticles serve critical roles in today’s flexible electronic systems.
Researchers from Centre for Nano and Soft matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengluru have developed a polymer nanocomposite for pressure sensing and energy harvesting applications and used it to invent a prototype of a road safety sensor.
The prototype may be implanted in the movable ramp and secured to the road just 100 meters before acute and fatal turning points. Thus, any vehicle approaching from the opposite side will see the signal on a screen and be alerted. This prototype works on the principle of piezoelectric effect so it can generate energy that can be stored and used further to power electronic gadgets as well.
The novel polymer nanocomposite, from which the prototype has been crafted, has been made of transition metal dichalcogenide.
The scientists, Shri Ankur Verma, Dr. Arjun Hari Madhu, Dr. Subash Cherumannil Karumuthil synthesized vanadium disulfide (VS2) with a very high surface charge which has the capacity of improving the piezoelectric characteristics of polymers. Polymer nanocomposite films were prepared by integrating these nanoparticles at various concentrations into a well-known piezoelectric polymer, poly (vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF).
Further they investigated how the surface charge of nanoparticles will affect the piezoelectric properties of polymer nanocomposite. In addition, a laboratory-scale demonstration of a road safety sensor and smart door was established, with the prototype as a pressure sensor.
This study demonstrates that PVDF-VS2 nanocomposites will provide significant value to flexible, long-term energy generating and pressure sensing applications. This work was recently published in the Journal of Material Chemistry A and an Indian patent application filed.
This study is part of an ongoing project “Materials for self powered energy generating and pressure sensing devices” funded by Department of Science and Technology under INSPIRE –faculty fellowship programme.