Wearable DIY Capacitive Touch Interface on Fabric Substrate for Digital Switch Control

Inspired by the potential of biodegradable flexible electronics for the latest smart gadgets. We report on a lightweight, flexible Capacitive Touch Interface (CTI) fabricated on cotton fabric using thin copper electrodes with high touch sensitivity. The high sensitivity is obtained by rapid charge cycles of the electrode. The CTI is interfaced with a microcontroller that executes wireless Control Command Signals (CCS) when the capacitance drops below a certain threshold. Additionally, combinations of electrodes can be defined in the microcontroller to obtain a high input count using fewer wires. This exhibits expansion of interfacing capabilities and fewer power requirements. The CTI has a facile fabrication process. Thus, it can be fabricated via readily available materials, even in a home setting. When a single electrode is touched, it measures a change in capacitance relative to the effective skin capacitance. Because of this, hybrid geometries can be implemented for each input, allowing for even more versatility. Fabricated CTI exhibits resistance to change when twisted, pulsated, or compressed. The flexible CTI and the microcontroller are attached to a cotton fiber-based textile glove to demonstrate wearable properties. A wireless digital control application abstraction is utilized to demonstrate utility. The CTI could be used as an affordable, comfortable, flexible, portable input interface for security, educational settings, healthcare, and smart digital gadgets of the future.