Title: Performance analysis of ZnO-based ultrasonic MEMS transducer used for blind person navigation

Authors: Hara Prasada Tripathy; Priyabrata Pattanaik; Sushanta Kumar Kamilla

Addresses: Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (ITER), Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar 751030, Odisha, India ' Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (ITER), Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar 751030, Odisha, India ' Department of Physics, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (ITER), Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar 751030, Odisha, India

Abstract: Navigation is not an easy task especially without using eye. Creatures like bats and dolphins are navigated by creating ultrasonic wave. The sensory organs help them to create and sense the path without visualising it. This paper imitates these creatures to propose an ultrasonic-based MEMS transducer for blind person navigation. MEMS-based acoustic transducers commonly employ the piezoelectric material. This model has been designed by using non-toxic and low cost compound like zinc oxide (ZnO) using COMSOL multiphysics. 2D axis-symmetrical model geometry is designed to imitate like sensory organ to sense the obstacle present two metres away from it. An optimised voltage of five volts and frequency of 20.103 KHz is applied to the proposed model to create ultrasonic wave. Further, the wave propagation in the air medium is analysed by using 3D partial differential equation. The pressure waves are studied during transmitting and receiving time. The rebounded wave from the obstacle to the transducer is converted to 30.2 mV by the proposed model. The von-misses stress is carried out to study the pressure on transducer surface.

Keywords: navigation; ultrasonic wave; MEMS transducer; zinc oxide; ZnO; COMSOL multiphysics; von-misses stress.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2018.094244

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2018 Vol.7 No.3, pp.192 - 200

Received: 09 May 2017
Accepted: 16 Nov 2017
Published online: 23 Aug 2018 *

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