Stretchable and wearable strain sensors have been intensively studied in recent years for applications in human motion monitoring. However, achieving a high-performance strain sensor with high stretchability, ultra-sensitivity, and functionality, such as tunable sensing ranges and sensitivity to various stimuli, has not yet been reported, even though such sensors have great importance for the future applications of wearable electronics. Herein, a novel and versatile strain sensor based on a cracking (silver ink patterned silicone elastomer)-(silver plated nylon structure) (Ag-DS/CF) has been designed and fabricated. The unique structure combined precisely shaped stretchable conductive fabrics and wrinkled Ag-ink pattern to achieve an excellent electrical performance. The Ag-DS/CF could be used to detect both large and subtle human motions and activities, pressure changes, and physical vibrations by achieving high stretchability up to 75%, ultrahigh sensitivity (gauge factor >104–106), tunable sensing ranges (from 7 to 75%). Excellent durability was demonstrated for human motion monitoring with machine washability. The extremely versatile Ag-DS/CF showed outstanding potential for the future of wearable electronics in real-time monitoring of human health, sports performance, etc.
High-performance electromagnetic interference shielding is becoming vital for the next generation of telecommunication and sensor devices among which portable and wearable applications require highly flexible and lightweight materials having efficient absorption-dominant shielding. Herein, we report on lightweight carbon foam–carbon nanotube/carbon nanofiber nanocomposites that are synthesized in a two-step robust process including a simple carbonization of open-pore structure melamine foams and subsequent growth of carbon nanotubes/nanofibers by chemical vapor deposition. The microstructure of the nanocomposites resembles a 3-dimensional hierarchical network of carbonaceous skeleton surrounded with a tangled web of bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes and layered graphitic carbon nanofibers. The microstructure of the porous composite enables absorption-dominant (absorbance ∼0.9) electromagnetic interference shielding with an effectiveness of ∼20–30 dB and with an equivalent mass density normalized shielding effectiveness of ∼800–1700 dB cm3 g–1 at the K-band frequency (18–26.5 GHz). Moreover, the hydrophobic nature of the materials grants water-repellency and stability in humid conditions important for reliable operation in outdoor use, whereas the mechanical flexibility and durability with excellent piezoresistive behavior enable strain-responsive tuning of electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding, adding on further functionalities. The demonstrated nanocomposites are versatile and will contribute to the development of reliable devices not only in telecommunication but also in wearable electronics, aerospace engineering, and robotics among others.
Ultimately soft electronics seek affordable and high mechanical performance universal self‐healing materials that can autonomously heal in harsh environments within short times scales. As of now, such features are not found in a single material. Herein, interpenetrated elastomer network with bimodal chain length distribution showing rapid autonomous healing in universal conditions (<7200 s) with high efficiency (up to 97.6 ± 4.8%) is reported. The bimodal elastomer displays strain‐induced photoelastic effect and reinforcement which is responsible for its remarkable mechanical robustness (≈5.5 MPa stress at break and toughness ≈30 MJ m−3). The entropy‐driven elasticity allows an unprecedented shape recovery efficiency (100%) even after fracturing and 100% resiliency up to its stretching limit (≈2000% strain). The elastomers can be mechanically conditioned leading to a state where they recover their shape extremely quickly after removal of stress (nearly order of magnitude faster than pristine elastomers). As a proof of concept, universal self‐healing mechanochromic strain sensor is developed capable of operating in various environmental conditions and of changing its photonic band gap under mechanical stress.
We evaluate the situational impairments caused by cold ambient temperature on fine-motor movement and vigilance during mobile interaction. For this purpose, we tested two mobile phone applications that measure fine motor skills and vigilance in controlled temperature settings. Our results show that cold adversely affected participants' fine-motor skills performance, but not vigilance. Based on our results we highlight the importance of correcting measurements when investigating performance of cognitive tasks to take into account the physical element of the tasks. Finally, we identify a number of design recommendations from literature that can mitigate the adverse effect of cold ambiance on interaction with mobile devices.
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