Self-powered stretchable strain sensors for motion monitoring and wireless control

Abstract Smart skins and smart textiles equipped with strain sensors for motion detection are of prime significance for personalized health monitoring, lifestyle and fitness applications. Yet, the dependence of these devices on wired power supplies and rigid batteries limits their use in everyday settings. Here, we report self-powered and highly elastic strain sensors withstanding stretching to 200% for monitoring the human motion. The sensor is based on a torsional-spring-shaped coil of liquid metal wound around an elastomeric tubing and equipped with a tiny piece of a magnetic ring. The energy is harvested from the body motion relying on the Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction when the coil is exposed to a time-varying magnetic field of the magnetic ring upon the mechanical deformation of the strain sensor. The max short-circuit current is 2 mA, which is much higher than previous work, and the peak power of our device is 20 µW, sufficiently high to drive conventional low-power electronics. We demonstrate the application potential of our sensor for wearable electronics for monitoring the motion of arms and legs during fitness workout and riding bicycle. The sensor can measure motion of fingers and wrist for health applications and establish wireless control of robotic hands.