【Wuyi University: Research on High Performance Flexible Strain Sensor for 360 ° Monitoring of Wrist Movement】

Flexible strain sensors have a wide range of applications in the fields of electronic skin and health monitoring, capable of detecting signals such as pulse, heartbeat, blood pressure, muscle movement, vocalization, and even facial expressions. There have been numerous studies on flexible strain sensors based on nanomaterials such as silver nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphene, etc., aiming to improve their sensitivity and stretchability from various aspects such as piezoresistive principle, sensor structure design, and elastomer encapsulation layer. However, the development of strain sensors that combine conductivity and large tensile deformation characteristics remains a challenging issue, as conductive materials and pathways are prone to breakage during sensor stretching deformation, or neighboring nanomaterials lose contact and cause sensor failure.

Recently, Associate Professor Yang Jian's team from Wuyi University used UV cured acrylic acid lauric acid ester and hydroxyethyl acrylate to prepare acrylic elastomers. The silver nanowire flexible strain sensor prepared by transfer printing technology can measure a factor of 97 under tensile strain exceeding 50%. Through parallel and vertical full bridge circuit design, it can accurately measure wrist movement in 360 degrees.