Reconfigurable, Stretchable Strain Sensor with the Localized Controlling of Substrate Modulus by Two-Phase Liquid...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Stretchable resistive strain sensors are crucial for various applications.
• Improving sensitivity and operating range of these sensors remains a challenge.
• Heterogeneous designs in soft substrates offer a pathway for strain modulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel reconfigurable strain modulation design for soft substrates.
• To achieve tunable sensitivity and operating range in stretchable strain sensors.
• To demonstrate the effectiveness of a two-phase liquid cell system for strain modulation.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical simulations and experimental validation were employed.
• A hybrid carbonous film-based resistive strain sensor was fabricated.
• A two-phase liquid cell array with reversible phase transition of liquid metal was utilized.
• External heating was used to control liquid metal phases.

Main Results:

• The proposed design enables reconfigurable strain sensing capabilities.
• The strain sensor's sensitivity and operating range can be switched between high-sensitivity and wide-range modes.
• Relative changes in sensitivity and operating range reached up to 59% and 44%, respectively.
• The effectiveness was validated through simulations and experiments.

Conclusions:

• The reversible heterogeneous design with liquid metal phase transition is effective for reconfigurable strain modulation.
• This approach offers a promising method for fabricating advanced stretchable strain sensors.
• The technology holds significant potential for future applications in wearable electronics and robotics.