Bend Sensor Technology Application – Smart Automotive Floor Mats
The Smart Floor Mat Concept components in the drawing are essential and can be changed to fit an application’s specific needs. The basic construction would be the top mat, the sensor array, the bottom foam, and the PCB Assembly.
- The sensor is a single-layer construction.
- The sensor’s resistance changes when it bends.
- When the sensor returns to its flat position, the resistance returns to the original value.
- The sensor’s design has undergone rigorous testing in various environments and liquids, including gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oil, alcohol, and water. These tests have proven its resilience, showing no ill effects.
- The sensor has very low current draw-microamps in many cases – ideal for wireless applications.
- It has been connected to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and low-frequency radio devices and could be hardwired.
- This construction shows a laminated assembly but could be designed to fit an over-molded construction.
It has been used to verify driver awareness. A passenger taps the mat in a specific area to provide input to the system architecture. Tapping the mat or a zone on a multizone mat could activate additional or redundant functions like lights, locks, and phone connection.
The sensor can be designed to function in different zones. One method would be to divide it into four quadrants, but it does not need to be just four; it could be more depending on the need. Since the sensor is an analog device and would increase resistance with higher forces, it could be used to indicate the status of passengers on a bus to identify whether they are seated or standing. It would be helpful for school buses where children’s safety may be a concern.
Tapping the mat or a zone on a multizone mat could activate additional or redundant functions, such as lights, locks, and phone connections.
Since the sensor is an analog device and would increase resistance with higher forces, it could be used to indicate the status of passengers on a bus to determine if kids are seated or standing. This would be useful for school buses where children’s safety may be a concern. An aftermarket mat could be integrated into taxis or other transport vehicles to detect occupancy. Many of these vehicles sustain seat damage that may break a sensor. In these cases, the end user could easily replace a mat, eliminating the costs of dealer-installed devices.
The sensor could be designed as an OEM placement and wired into the vehicle or still use a wireless protocol. During vehicle manufacturing, it would be mounted on the sound-deadening pad and under the carpet. The sensor in failure shows an open circuit. The vehicle can quickly diagnose issues with the system.
Assembly would have data collected from the bend sensor, processed, and transferred via Bluetooth to your cell phone or Body Control Module.
Another concept-validated application is the updated Foot Sensor. The example below is from another innovator, but the results could be identical.
