###### Abstract  
The promising research on flexible and tactile sensors requires conducting polymer materials and an accurate system for the transduction of pressure into electrical signals. In this paper, the intelligent sensitive mat, based on Velostat, which is a polymeric material impregnated with carbon black, is investigated. Various designs and geometries for home-made sensor mats have been proposed, and their electrical and mechanical properties, including reproducibility, have been studied through the tests performed. The mat pressure sensors have been interfaced with an Arduino microcontroller in order to monitor, read with high precision, and control the variation of the resistance under applied pressure. An approximation method was then developed based on a neural network algorithm to explore the relationship between different mat shapes, the pressure and stresses applied on the mat, the resistance of the conductive Velostat material, and the number of active sensing cells in order to control system input signal management. pressure sensor; mat; Arduino system; neural network +
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0000-0001-4000-0001-4000]M.M. sole of the shoe. Neonatal constant monitoring, sports training monitoring, and elderly care are applications of the Velostat-based pressure sensitive mat (PSM) [11; 12; 13]. The plantar pressure distribution allows for the analysis of the rhythm and size of the step, weight distribution between heel and foot, and timing of the gait phases by means of Velostat-based foot sensors installed in the shoe lining [14]. Moreover, flexible pressure sensors can be designed to identify the main characteristics of the human body mass distribution [15]. Prolonged sitting, especially with bad posture, can lead to a stiff neck, tight shoulders, and back pain. In light of this problem, the Velostat pressure sensors can be chosen in the acquisition system to monitor the driver's posture and the intensity of prolonged sitting or reclining activity [16]. The ergonomic and performant smart cushion, based on a pressure-sensor array using the piezoresistive material Velostat as the core, is designed for sedentary people to correct their sitting posture and for drivers to improve their driving safety [17]. In fact, different human behaviors can produce different sitting postures, resulting in different pressure distributions on a seat. Unlike stand-alone pressure sensors, the pressure-sensor array can be distributed over the entire seat to gather comprehensive information about the pressure distribution of the human body. To identify incorrect sitting posture, a smart mat is embedded with pressure-sensing elements made by a low-cost E-Textile arranged in a matrix form [18]. Pressure distribution sensors located on the surface of the seat and backrest of the chair enable real-time acquisition of contact information between the chair and the occupant. Studies on standing posture and stability use, as a quantitative measure, the displacement of the center of pressure (CoP) calculated through a force platform in aged or diabetic subjects, children with cerebral palsy, or subjects in the neonatal stage. Pressure-sensitive mats (PSMs) are generally adopted to measure pressure on seats, beds, or floors, for interactive multimedia systems, for interactive toys, and for measuring CoP and train sitting balance [11; 19]. Elderly or long-term hospitalized patients with diseases have a significant risk of pressure sores, which are wounds of the skin and internal tissues caused by continuous pressure on a specific area of the body. Sleep posture monitoring can prevent events such as sleep apnea or pressure ulcers that can generate pain, infection, and even death and, thus, negatively impact patient health and public health costs [7]. For this reason, several studies have been conducted on a bed pressure monitoring system suitable for daily use to prevent pressure ulcers, proposing complex solutions.