NPG Asia Materials 2017-10-01

A skin-attachable, stretchable integrated system based on liquid GaInSn for wireless human motion monitoring with multi-site sensing capabilities

Yu Ra Jeong, Jeonghyun Kim, Zhaoqian Xie, Yeguang Xue, Sang Min Won, Geumbee Lee, Sang Woo Jin, Soo Yeong Hong, Xue Feng, Yonggang Huang, John A Rogers, Jeong Sook Ha

Index: 10.1038/am.2017.189

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Abstract

This paper introduces a liquid-metal integrated system that combines soft electronics materials and engineering designs with advanced near-field-communication (NFC) functionality for human motion sensing. All of the active components, that is, strain sensor, antenna and interconnections, in this device are made of liquid metal, and the device has unique gel-like characteristics and stretchability. Patterning procedures based on selective wetting properties of the reduced GaInSn enable a skin-attachable, miniaturized layout, in which the diameter of the device is less than 2 cm. Electromechanical characterization of the strain sensor and antenna reveals their behaviors under large uniaxial tensile and compressive strains, as well as more complex modes of deformation. Demonstrations of these devices involve their use in monitoring various human motions in a purely wireless fashion; examples include wrist flexion, movements of the vocal cord and finger motion. This simple platform has potential for use in human–machine interfaces for prosthetic control and other applications.