The Progress of Research into Flexible Sensors in the Field of Smart Wearables

Abstract

In modern society, technology associated with smart sensors made from flexible materials is rapidly evolving. As a core component in the field of wearable smart devices (or ‘smart wearables’), flexible sensors have the advantages of excellent flexibility, ductility, free folding properties, and more. When choosing materials for the development of sensors, reduced weight, elasticity, and wearer’s convenience are considered as advantages, and are suitable for electronic skin, monitoring of health-related issues, biomedicine, human–computer interactions, and other fields of biotechnology. The idea behind wearable sensory devices is to enable their easy integration into everyday life. This review discusses the concepts of sensory mechanism, detected object, and contact form of flexible sensors, and expounds the preparation materials and their applicability. This is with the purpose of providing a reference for the further development of flexible sensors suitable for wearable devices.

Nanonet-/fiber-structured flexible ceramic membrane enabling dielectric energy storage

“…The rapid development of various smart devices is putting forward increasing requirements for the flexibility and performances [1,2]. Dielectric ceramics have been considered as the most attractive participants for fast and high-power energy storage but encumbered by their hard and brittle natures [3,4].…”

The Need for Smart Materials in an Expanding Smart World: MXene-Based Wearable Electronics and Their Advantageous Applications

“…As a result of recent developments in intelligent electronics and wearable technologies, flexible and miniaturized equipment has gained an exponential amount of interest. − These devices introduce an innovative paradigm to the realm of consumer electronics, which contributes to this trend. These advancements in wearable technology have enabled significant utilization of flexible electronics, which may now be used in applications such as self-powered gadgets, , intelligent health and household devices, soft robotics, smart sensors, human–machine interfaces, and many other areas. It is rather remarkable that the present development of flexible electronics may be achieved through their inherent properties, such as the fact that they are lightweight, affordable, and straightforward to mount on skin.…”

Core–sheath structured polystyrene‐ethylene‐butene‐styrene/carbon nanotubes/carbonyl iron particlecomposite fiber with high stretchability for strain and magnetic field dual‐mode sensing

“…Smart wearable technology, capable of integrating electronic devices and sensors into clothing, accessories, and other items to achieve data collection, information processing, and interaction functions, has been widely used in health management, sports monitoring, smart home, smart travel, and other fields 1–6 . As the core component of smart wearable devices, flexible sensors have been widely utilized to monitor large body movements, 7 breathing, 8 pulse, 9 swallowing, 10 intraocular pressure, 11 and so forth, and have great application potential in disease diagnosis, health monitoring, electronic skin, 12 and smart robots 13–15 …”