#TechTuesday: Graphene for pressure sensors

Pressure sensors control thousands of everyday applications, from something as simple as opening your front door to blood pressure monitoring during surgery. Each sensor serves a different purpose but, to operate reliably, they all rely on accuracy and stable pressure measurements. 

As wireless devices become the norm in the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, companies increasingly rely on pressure sensors to monitor and control their applications. Therefore, the demand for these technologies has greatly increased, putting estimations of the worldwide pressure sensor market at €11.4 billion by 2024. 

The high flexibility, conductivity and strength of graphene membranes are key properties that enable the next generation of sensors, enabling smarter, safer, and more environmentally friendly electronics for businesses and consumers alike. 

Researchers from Graphene Flagship partner TUDelft, Netherlands, have taken advantage of graphene’s excellent properties to develop an ultra-sensitive presence detection sensor. This next generation sensor is comprised of more than 10,000 graphene membranes that are suspended on a 1 m2  silicon chip. When a minute pressure change occurs, the membranes deflect, creating an electrical current which enables the detection of opening or closing doors. 

This graphene-enabled sensor is highly sensitive, and an ideal candidate for a wide array of home safety applications, such as intruder alarms on both doors and windows. When connected to a wireless device the sensor is capable of detecting movement and rapidly alerting people in the building, or transmitting a signal to external security systems.   

The mystery behind graphene is all but gone, and we are now witnessing mass-scale graphene production, making it an affordable and attractive to current alternatives. We can expect to see a range of graphene-enabled sensors soon available on the market, securing graphene as a household name!