Performance specifications and evaluation methods for fabric strain sensors

The performance specifications of fabric strain sensors were presented based on corresponding standards, commercial products of other sensors and application of the sensor. General evaluation methods were given for key characteristics such as sensitivity, linearity, repeatability, hysteresis, etc., moreover, relaxation and responding time were adopted to evaluate sensors for large strain measurement. These evaluation methods can be used for performance evaluation of other fabric strain sensors. New fabric strain sensor developed by our group was characterized based on these methods. It shows that the sensor can stably measure strain up to 20% with a relative high sensitivity (gauge factor about 43), small hysteresis (6.25%), relative short relaxation time and short responding time as wen as good repeatability, linearity; it has a lot of application potentials in electrotherapy treatment, sports and rehabilitation.