Patent ID: 8272273

Claim:
A strain measurement device, comprising: a strain gauge, and at least one first and at least one second layer of carbon nanotube films, each carbon nanotube film having a plurality of carbon nanotubes, the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the first layer of carbon nanotube film aligned along a first direction, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the second layer of carbon nanotube film aligned along a second direction, an angle between the first direction and the second direction is in a range from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees, wherein a third direction is substantially parallel to a bisector of the angle, and a fourth direction is substantially perpendicular to the third direction; a holding device, wherein the strain gauge is secured to the holding device; a transverse strain recorder capable of recording a transverse strain in the fourth direction; and a data processing device capable of calculating an axial strain in the third direction of the strain gauge.