Electrohydrodynamic printed ultra-high performance liquid metal strain sensor

Liquid metals exhibit excellent fluidity and strain adaptability, offering promising applications in flexible electronics, human-machine interaction, and soft robotics. However, due to the low viscosity and high surface tension of liquid metals, achieving ultraprecise patterning remains challenging, thereby limiting device integration and electrical response. This study proposes an electrohydrodynamic printing method for large-length, ultra-fine, customized manufacturing of liquid-metal microwires, thereby regulating their electrical response. A simple liquid-metal wire structure was used to fabricate a strain sensor, achieving ultra-sensitive strain detection with a weak strain sensing capability of 0.008% and withstanding thousands of tensile cycles at 80% strain. This sensor demonstrated excellent performance in applications such as gesture recognition and pulse measurement. This research demonstrates that electrohydrodynamic printing offers a practical method for precisely processing liquid metals, thereby expanding the potential applications of liquid metal devices.