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Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensor based on liquid metal composite for wearable sign language communication device

Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensor based on liquid metal composite for wearable sign language communication device
Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensor based on liquid metal composite for wearable sign language communication device

In recent years, the demand for wearable strain sensors is growing due to their motion monitoring and clinical data collection capabilities. The sensors with positive piozeconductivity, i.e. their conductivity increases when stretched, are more favored in wearable electronics because they can maintain high conductivity under stretching. However, reported composites with positive piezoconductivity mostly show low sensitivity. Furthermore, few wearable electronic systems based on strain sensors are built completely with data processing capabilities. Herein, we present a wearable sensor based on a positive piezoconductive composite composed of liquid metal microdroplets, metal microparticles, and elastic matrix. The resistance of the composite is extremely high at the relaxed state but drops drastically under any deformation. It has high stretchability (fracture strain >200%) and sensitivity (gauge factor ∼100), which shows excellent performance in detecting human motions such as joint bending. Based on this composite, we demonstrate a wearable and portable sign language communication device with a fully programmable and configurable system to help people with language disabilities communicate effectively with others from the visual and auditory perspectives. By bending the fingers, the device can type words or sentences on screen and speak relevant letters through the audio.

liquid metals, magnetorheological elastomers, positive piezoconductive effects, strain sensors, wearable electronic systems
0964-1726
Zhang, Qingtian
58f0e671-0e53-478f-8f4d-b94dd720893e
Yun, Guolin
240c3dc9-c224-41c0-8740-de165d1eb90b
Zhao, Beiliang
c2a36c73-5cd0-4c71-bf1b-18597113e543
Lu, Hongda
731b3c09-82ae-408b-8218-95b0de29f2dd
Zhang, Shiwu
da008f91-71fa-42fb-879e-68b91429e1d6
Tang, Shi Yang
1d0f15c6-2a3e-4bad-a3d8-fc267db93ed4
Li, Weihua
e2555036-0e48-425a-afeb-db6ffba5238e
Zhang, Qingtian
58f0e671-0e53-478f-8f4d-b94dd720893e
Yun, Guolin
240c3dc9-c224-41c0-8740-de165d1eb90b
Zhao, Beiliang
c2a36c73-5cd0-4c71-bf1b-18597113e543
Lu, Hongda
731b3c09-82ae-408b-8218-95b0de29f2dd
Zhang, Shiwu
da008f91-71fa-42fb-879e-68b91429e1d6
Tang, Shi Yang
1d0f15c6-2a3e-4bad-a3d8-fc267db93ed4
Li, Weihua
e2555036-0e48-425a-afeb-db6ffba5238e

Zhang, Qingtian, Yun, Guolin, Zhao, Beiliang, Lu, Hongda, Zhang, Shiwu, Tang, Shi Yang and Li, Weihua (2021) Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensor based on liquid metal composite for wearable sign language communication device. Smart Materials and Structures, 30 (11), [115005]. (doi:10.1088/1361-665X/ac251a).

Record type: Article

Abstract

In recent years, the demand for wearable strain sensors is growing due to their motion monitoring and clinical data collection capabilities. The sensors with positive piozeconductivity, i.e. their conductivity increases when stretched, are more favored in wearable electronics because they can maintain high conductivity under stretching. However, reported composites with positive piezoconductivity mostly show low sensitivity. Furthermore, few wearable electronic systems based on strain sensors are built completely with data processing capabilities. Herein, we present a wearable sensor based on a positive piezoconductive composite composed of liquid metal microdroplets, metal microparticles, and elastic matrix. The resistance of the composite is extremely high at the relaxed state but drops drastically under any deformation. It has high stretchability (fracture strain >200%) and sensitivity (gauge factor ∼100), which shows excellent performance in detecting human motions such as joint bending. Based on this composite, we demonstrate a wearable and portable sign language communication device with a fully programmable and configurable system to help people with language disabilities communicate effectively with others from the visual and auditory perspectives. By bending the fingers, the device can type words or sentences on screen and speak relevant letters through the audio.

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More information

Published date: November 2021
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2021 IOP Publishing Ltd.
Keywords: liquid metals, magnetorheological elastomers, positive piezoconductive effects, strain sensors, wearable electronic systems

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 481757
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/481757
ISSN: 0964-1726
PURE UUID: 408bad11-c14e-46b4-a7b8-d551f167e3c9
ORCID for Shi Yang Tang: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3079-8880

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 07 Sep 2023 16:35
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 02:18

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Contributors

Author: Qingtian Zhang
Author: Guolin Yun
Author: Beiliang Zhao
Author: Hongda Lu
Author: Shiwu Zhang
Author: Shi Yang Tang ORCID iD
Author: Weihua Li

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