Ultrasensitive Ultrasoft Buckled Crack-Based Sensor for Respiration Measurement and Enhanced Human–Machine Interface

Abstract

Wearable strain sensors have transformed the real-time monitoring of health conditions and human–machine interactions. However, recently developed wearable strain sensors exhibit several limitations. For example, when a sensor is designed with high sensitivity to detect strain, it struggles to accurately measuring the deformation of low-stiffness materials like skin. Additionally, finding the optimal balance between sensitivity, durability, hysteresis, and strain range in sensor design is challenging. To address these challenges, a Buckled, Ultrasoft, Crack-based, Large strain, EpiDermal (BUCKLED) sensor is developed. This sensor integrates the benefits of soft structure engineering with high sensitivity of crack-based sensing mechanisms to ensure optimal skin deformation measurements. The BUCKLED sensor exhibits significant improvements in compliance (18 500 mm N−1), stretchability (100%), hysteresis (2%), durability (10 000 cycles with 100% strain), and force sensitivity ((Formula presented.)) owing to its buckled shape, confirming its ability to detect subtle movements with enhanced accuracy. The sensor's high compliance allows it to accurately measure low-stiffness objects, ensuring reliable performance. Furthermore, the sensor's tunability is demonstrating its effectiveness in applications such as respiratory monitoring, facial expression recognition, and silent speech interfaces. Consequently, the proposed sensor is versatile and holds great potential for a wide range of sensing applications.