Soft flexion sensors integrating strechable metal conductors on a silicone substrate for smart glove applications

Michaud, Hadrien O.; Teixidor, Joan; Lacour, Stéphanie

doi:10.1109/memsys.2015.7051069

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Electronic skin (e-skin) is an artificial skin that mimics the properties of skin using electronic devices. Inspired by human skin, e-skin has been found many potential applications 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 , such as wearable devices, artificial prosthetics, health monitoring and smart robots.…”

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confidence: 99%

A chameleon-inspired stretchable electronic skin with interactive colour changing controlled by tactile sensing

et al. 2015

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Some animals, such as the chameleon and cephalopod, have the remarkable capability to change their skin colour. This unique characteristic has long inspired scientists to develop materials and devices to mimic such a function. However, it requires the complex integration of stretchability, colour-changing and tactile sensing. Here we show an all-solution processed chameleon-inspired stretchable electronic skin (e-skin), in which the e-skin colour can easily be controlled through varying the applied pressure along with the applied pressure duration. As such, the e-skin's colour change can also be in turn utilized to distinguish the pressure applied. The integration of the stretchable, highly tunable resistive pressure sensor and the fully stretchable organic electrochromic device enables the demonstration of a stretchable electrochromically active e-skin with tactile-sensing control. This system will have wide range applications such as interactive wearable devices, artificial prosthetics and smart robots.

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confidence: 99%

A chameleon-inspired stretchable electronic skin with interactive colour changing controlled by tactile sensing

et al. 2015

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“…For example, a complete wearable system, designed to monitor heart rate, relies on LM interconnect layout to link a voltage regular, passive components, and an integrated pulse oximeter (Figure a). Our group used LM alloy (EGaIn) interconnects to contact extremely thin (50 nm) gold strain gauges within a soft glove system encoding motion and pressure − (Figure b). The LM interconnects also act as a mechanical buffer to interface delicate components or surfaces and minimize mechanical stress concentrations.…”

Section: Applications To Soft Wearablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing the Rheological Properties of Liquid Metals To Shape Soft Electronic Conductors for Wearable Applications

et al. 2019

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Emerging applications of the Internet of Things in healthcare, wellness, and gaming require continuous monitoring of the body and its environment, fueling the need for wearable devices able to maintain intimate, reliable, and unobtrusive contact with the human body. This translates in the necessity to develop soft and deformable electronics that match the body's mechanics and dynamics. In recent years, various strategies have been proposed to form stretchable circuits and more specifically elastic electrical conductors embedded in elastomeric substrate using either geometrical structuring of solid conductors or intrinsically stretchable materials. Gallium (Ga)-based liquid metals (LMs) are an emerging class of materials offering a particularly interesting set of properties for the design of intrinsically deformable conductors. They concomitantly offer the high electrical conductivity of metals with the ability of liquids to flow and reconfigure. The specific chemical and physical properties of Ga-based LMs differ fundamentally from those of solid conductors and need to be considered to successfully process and implement them into stretchable electronic devices. In this Account, we report on how the key physical and chemical properties of Ga-based LMs can be leveraged to enable repeatable manufacturing and precise patterning of stretchable LM conductors. A comprehensive understanding of the interplay between the LM, its receiving substrate chemistry and topography, and the environmental conditions is necessary to meet the reproducibility and reliability standards for large scale deployment in next-generation wearable systems. In oxidative environments, a solid oxide skin forms at the surface of the LM and provides enough stiffness to counterbalance surface tension, and prevent the LM from beading up to a spherical shape. We review techniques that advantageously harness the oxide skin to form metastable structures such as spraying, 3D printing, or channel injection. Next, we explore how controlling the environmental condition prevents the formation or removes the oxide skin, thereby allowing for selective wetting of Ga lyophilic surfaces. Representative examples include selective plating and physical vapor deposition. The wettability of LMs can be further tuned by engineering the surface chemistry and topology of the receiving substrate to form superlyophobic or superlyophilic surfaces. In particular, our group developed Ga-superlyophilic substrates by engineering the surface of silicone rubber with microstructures and a gold coating layer. Thermal evaporation of Ga on such engineered substrates allows for the formation of smooth LM films with micrometric thickness control and design freedom. The versatility of the available deposition techniques facilitates the implementation of LM conductors in a wide variety of wearable devices. We review various epidermal electronic systems using LM conductors as interconnects to carry power and information, transducers and sensors, antennas, and complex hybrid (soft-rigid) ele...

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“…This material can form watertight seals and is water-repellent, although rather permeable to gas, which is an interesting combination for medical applications. Combination with liquid metals allows for use in strain sensing with up to 50% change in resistance and application, for example, in smart gloves 34,35 and soft artificial skin 36 .…”

Section: Precision In Harsh Environments P French Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

Precision in harsh environments

2016

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Microsystems are increasingly being applied in harsh and/or inaccessible environments, but many markets expect the same level of functionality for long periods of time. Harsh environments cover areas that can be subjected to high temperature, (bio)-chemical and mechanical disturbances, electromagnetic noise, radiation, or high vacuum. In the field of actuators, the devices must maintain stringent accuracy specifications for displacement, force, and response times, among others. These new requirements present additional challenges in the compensation for or elimination of cross-sensitivities. Many state-of-the-art precision devices lose their precision and reliability when exposed to harsh environments. It is also important that advanced sensor and actuator systems maintain maximum autonomy such that the devices can operate independently with low maintenance. The next-generation microsystems will be deployed in remote and/or inaccessible and harsh environments that present many challenges to sensor design, materials, device functionality, and packaging. All of these aspects of integrated sensors and actuator microsystems require a multidisciplinary approach to overcome these challenges. The main areas of importance are in the fields of materials science, micro/nano-fabrication technology, device design, circuitry and systems, (first-level) packaging, and measurement strategy. This study examines the challenges presented by harsh environments and investigates the required approaches. Examples of successful devices are also given.

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Soft flexion sensors integrating strechable metal conductors on a silicone substrate for smart glove applications

Cited by 16 publications

References 11 publications

A chameleon-inspired stretchable electronic skin with interactive colour changing controlled by tactile sensing

A chameleon-inspired stretchable electronic skin with interactive colour changing controlled by tactile sensing

Harnessing the Rheological Properties of Liquid Metals To Shape Soft Electronic Conductors for Wearable Applications

Precision in harsh environments

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