A Triboelectric Impact Sensor for Contact Detection in Sports

Abstract

Impact detection is crucial in many applications ranging from vehicle safety to sports analytics. In sports like cricket, impact-based contact detection between a ball and the edges of a bat or pad is essential for ensuring fair umpiring decisions. However, current methods for this purpose encounter multiple challenges, including external sound interference, absence of real-time data, sensitivity to environmental conditions like temperature and humidity, and reliance on expensive equipment. This work presents a simple, cost-efficient, and scalable method for fabricating a flexible impact sensor based on a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The nylon- and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based triboelectric sensor (TES) nylon-PVC TES (NP-TES) can be integrated into applications involving collisions, sensing a wide range of impact-related data. Under a 5-N impact force at a 4-Hz impact frequency, the developed TENG sensor generates an open-circuit voltage of 56.2 V and a short-circuit current of 175 nA with a peak power density of 285.8 μW/m2 on a 10-MΩ load. The as-fabricated NP-TES element accurately detects impacts ranging from 4.09 to 120.04 mJ, maintaining stability and a high voltage sensitivity of 295.5 V/J even after 12 000 cycles. Finally, the application of the developed NP-TES element is explored by integrating it into sports equipment, including a cricket bat and pad, and testing it under simulated game conditions with controlled ball impacts. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of NP-TES in detecting real-time ball-to-bat edge contacts and other impact events.