Towards environmentally friendly accelerometers based on bacterial cellulose

In this paper, an environmentally friendly inertial motion sensor is investigated, modelled, and characterized as an accelerometer. The sensor is obtained by using bacterial cellulose (BC) as a base biopolymer. BC is then impregnated with ionic liquids. Electrodes are realized by a conducting polymer, in a typical three-layer structure. The sensor works in a cantilever configuration and produces an open voltage signal as the result of a flexing deformation. A model is proposed for the transduction phenomenon. The composite mechano-electric transduction capability is exploited for realizing the accelerometer. Results of the chemical and transduction characterization of the accelerometer are reported. Finally, experimental evidence of the possible nature of the transduction phenomenon is given.