A Flexible Heat Spot Tracker Toward Simultaneously Temperature Sensing and Positioning

A flexible temperature sensing system that can simultaneously detect the temperature and position has great significance for the development of industry, medicine, military, and aerospace. Traditional flexible thermal sensor array with high integration density or filling factor used to achieve this goal faces challenges such as the complex design and fabrication process, performance consistency, and multifunctional integration. In this work, we design and develop a flexible heat spot tracker (FHST) for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and position of a heat spot. Important considerations for the design of FHST include the realization of good and stable in-plane thermal conduction, and the ability of reducing the filling factor of the sensor array. Systematical experimental and theoretical studies demonstrate several unique advantages of FHST, most significantly the capability of simultaneously sensing the temperature and position of a heat spot through a sparse sensor array. The demonstrated platform adds to the portfolio of smart skin for advanced aircraft, integrated circuit chip, industrial equipment, and many others.