A Sintering Method for Adhesive Sensor-Embedded Athletic Wear in Amphibious Environments

The application of wearable electronic devices and electronic textiles is growing, leading to a strong demand for high-performance flexible sensors. However, the development of flexible amphibious sensors still faces challenges. Here, we introduce a high-performance amphibious strain sensor that incorporates a liquid-metal-based conductor with excellent adhesion properties. By utilizing a silicone rubber-assisted stretching and sintering strategy, we effectively prevent the self-adhesion of the sensor, enhancing both the usability and performance of the sensor. The device consists of a metal polymer conductor (MPC) layer, a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate layer, and a medical tape encapsulation layer. Ultrasonic treatment enables the MPC particles to form conductive networks under strain. Furthermore, optimizing the encapsulation materials and transfer strategies increases the sensor's conductivity, stability, and adhesion to commercial athletic wear. The resulting sensors exhibit a rapid response (approximately 0.2 s), exceptional durability (over 2000 cycles), remarkable waterproofing capability, and resistance to water flow interference. This work provides a scalable and innovative solution for amphibious motion monitoring, enabling the tracking of human movement states on both land and underwater. Beyond swimming monitoring, these sensors also facilitate applications such as walking, running, jumping, and issuing underwater distress signals through finger bending.