Researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), at Osaka University find a simple and elegant way to measure pressure and acceleration using the same device

Osaka, Japan – As costs rise across much of the world, there is greater pressure than ever for technology to become cheaper and more efficient without sacrificing effectiveness or simplicity. Now, a multi-institutional research team led by Osaka University has found a way to do so, and their approach is relevant for industrial applications like air conditioning, pumps, compressors, and even aerospace.

Their solution? The team created a multifunctional device that can measure both acceleration and pressure. Until now, measuring both of these physical quantities required two distinct sensors; combining them into a single device saves costs and simplifies manufacturing.

You might wonder – why do we need a sensor for pressure or acceleration? Actually, such sensors surround us in our daily life, though we might not notice them. Piezoelectric materials generate an electrical charge in response to mechanical stimulation. For example, an accelerometer in a car might detect a sudden stop, which could be used to signal an air bag to be deployed. Another type of sensor, a capacitive sensor, detects the presence of an electrical charge; this can be used to detect pressure in, say, medical devices.

“Until now, mainstream electronics have used multimodal devices to observe different physical quantities, like pressure and acceleration,” explains Yuki Noda, lead author of the study. “These are equipped with multiple sensors, and it can be challenging to get these sensors to work together harmoniously because they use distinct measurement principles.”

The research team closely studied the properties of piezoelectric materials and found a way to measure both acceleration and pressure using a single design and method. Furthermore, the team’s new device can be manufactured at room temperature from low-cost materials.

“In this study, we managed to simultaneously measure pressure and acceleration with a single device,” says Tsuyoshi Sekitani, a senior author of the study. “What’s exciting to me is that, because our device uses lightweight and low-cost materials, this technology will benefit a wide range of applications, like medical care or disaster mitigation.”

Indeed, the research team’s findings hold promise for applications where simultaneous pressure and acceleration measurement is essential, such as landslide alerts, heavy-machinery maintenance or the detection of infrastructure degradation.

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The article, "Resonant-type multifunctional device using organic piezoelectrics for detecting differential pressure and acceleration," was published in Applied Physics Letters at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0246846