Intrinsically Stretchable Motion Sensor Enabled by 3D Graphene Foam Integrated Hydrogel

Abstract

Stretchable hydrogel devices are highly desirable for their capacity to seamlessly integrate significant stretchability, high conductivity, and exceptional biocompatibility. Nonetheless, the substantial disparity in stiffness between soft hydrogels and commonly rigid electrode materials often leads to pronounced performance fluctuations or even complete failure of sensor circuits in practical applications. Here, the study introduces an intrinsically stretchable graphene-hydrogel strain sensor (GHSS) fabricated by integrating a hydrogel and a 3D graphene foam with very closely matched elastic moduli. The GHSS demonstrates a strain detection limit of 0.02%, a rapid response time of 64 ms, and long-term stability, enabling the detection of human joint movements, physiological signals, touch pad input, and exercise monitoring.