Soft, Stretchable, High-Sensitivity, Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Based Strain Sensor for Joint Healthcare

Exoskeletons play a crucial role in joint healthcare by providing targeted support and rehabilitation for individuals with musculoskeletal diseases. As an assistive device, the accurate monitoring of the user's joint signals and exoskeleton status using wearable sensors is essential to ensure the efficiency of conducting complex tasks in various scenarios. However, balancing sensitivity and stretchability in wearable devices for exoskeleton applications remains a significant challenge. Here, we introduce a wearable strain sensor for detecting finger and knee joint motions. The sensor utilizes a stretchable elastic conductive network, incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into Ecoflex. The concentration of MWCNTs has been meticulously optimized to achieve both a high gauge factor (GF) and stability. With its high sensitivity, the sensor is enabled to be applied in the angle monitoring of finger joints. By integrating the sensor with human knee joints and an exoskeleton device, it can simultaneously detect the flexion and extension movements in real-time. This sensor holds significant potential for enhancing exoskeleton performance and improving joint healthcare technologies.