This paper introduces a liquid-metal integrated system that combines soft electronics materials and engineering designs with advanced near-field-communication (NFC) functionality for human motion sensing. All of the active components, that is, strain sensor, antenna and interconnections, in this device are made of liquid metal, and the device has unique gel-like characteristics and stretchability. Patterning procedures based on selective wetting properties of the reduced GaInSn enable a skin-attachable, miniaturized layout, in which the diameter of the device is less than 2 cm. Electromechanical characterization of the strain sensor and antenna reveals their behaviors under large uniaxial tensile and compressive strains, as well as more complex modes of deformation. Demonstrations of these devices involve their use in monitoring various human motions in a purely wireless fashion; examples include wrist flexion, movements of the vocal cord and finger motion. This simple platform has potential for use in human–machine interfaces for prosthetic control and other applications.

本文介绍了一种液态金属集成系统，该系统将软电子材料和工程设计与用于人体运动感应的高级近场通信（NFC）功能相结合。该设备中的所有有源组件（即应变传感器，天线和互连）均由液态金属制成，并且该设备具有独特的凝胶状特性和可拉伸性。基于还原的GaInSn的选择性润湿特性的图案化程序可实现皮肤可附着的小型化布局，其中器件的直径小于2 cm。应变传感器和天线的机电特性揭示了它们在大的单轴拉伸和压缩应变以及更复杂的变形模式下的行为。这些设备的演示涉及它们以纯无线方式用于监视各种人类动作的用途。例子包括腕部弯曲，声带运动和手指运动。这个简单的平台具有用于假肢控制和其他应用的人机界面的潜力。