Flexible pressure sensors are attracting considerable attention due to their potential applications in human health monitoring and human‐machine interfaces. However, it is hard to achieve both high sensitivity and wide linear detection range, and the complicated fabrication process restricts their practical applications. Herein, a simple and scalable fabrication process for a flexible pressure sensor with high sensitivity and wide detection range has been developed by combining the silver nanowires coated, laser‐ablated hierarchical microstructured polydimethylsiloxane, and an interdigital electrode. The hierarchical microstructures contribute to the high sensitivity of 4.48 kPa−1 and increase detection range from 0 to 65 kPa. The increase in the contact area and subsequent additional contact sites of the hierarchical microstructures lead to the high‐performance. Arterial pulse, breathing, and static tremors have been measured by attaching the device to the human body. Moreover, a pressure sensor array has been fabricated to illustrate the scalability of this strategy. The results demonstrate that the flexible pressure sensor with simple and scalable fabrication capability has promising applications in wearable electronic skins.
Three-dimensional (3D) curvy electronics has wide-ranging application in biomedical health care, soft machine, and high-density curved imager. Limited by material properties, complex procedures, and coverage ability of existing fabrication techniques, the development of high-performance 3D curvy electronics remains challenging. Here, we propose an automated wrap-like transfer printing prototype for fabricating 3D curvy electronics. Assisted by a gentle and uniform pressure field, the prefabricated planar circuits on the petal-like stamp are integrated onto the target surface intactly with full coverage. The driving pressure for the wrapping is provided by the strain recovery of a prestrained elastic film triggered by the air pressure control. The wrapping configuration and strain distribution of the stamp are simulated by finite element analysis, and the pattern and thickness of the stamps are optimized. Demonstration of this strategy including spherical meander antenna, spherical light-emitting diode array, and spherical solar cell array illustrates its feasibility in the development of complex 3D curvy electronics.
Electromyography (EMG) signal is the electrical potential generated by contracting muscle cells. Long-term and accurate EMG monitoring is desirable for neuromuscular function assessment in clinical and the human–computer interfaces. Herein, we report a skin-integrated, biocompatible, and stretchable silicon microneedle electrode (SSME) inspired by the plant thorns. The silicon microneedles are half encapsulated by the polyimide (PI) to enhance the adaptability to deformation and resistance to fatigue. Thorn-like SSME is realized by the semi-additive method with a stretchability of not less than 36%. The biocompatibility of SSME has been verified using cytotoxicity tests. EMG monitoring in motion and long-term has been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and performance of the SSME, which is compared with a commercial wet electrode. Hopefully, the strategies reported here can lead to accurate and long-term EMG monitoring, facilitating an effective and reliable human–computer interface.