US Air Force Scientists Successfully Developed a Small Size Flexible Sensor

[China Instrument Network Instrument R&D] With the popularity of smart terminals, wearable electronic devices represent a huge market prospect. As one of the core components, sensors will influence the functional design and future development of wearable devices. The flexible wearable electronic sensor is characterized by its thinness and portability, excellent electrical performance, and high integration, making it one of the most popular electrical sensors.

(Image from the Internet, invaded)

Sensors play a vital role in human health monitoring. In recent years, people have made remarkable progress in the field of wearable implantable sensors, such as the use of electronic skin to deliver skin tactile information to the brain, the use of three-dimensional microelectrodes to achieve control of the prosthetic cerebral cortex, the use of cochlear implants to restore patient hearing. However, achieving high resolution, high sensitivity, fast response, low cost manufacturing, and complex signal detection of flexible wearable electronic sensors remains a great challenge.

Researchers at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Wise Institute of Biological Engineering at Harvard University have developed a flexibly scalable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensor that has successfully overcome the bulky disadvantages of traditional ISR sensors and has greatly expanded the application of sensors.

The researchers prepared a flexible sensor for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance by digitally printing the electronic components of the sensor onto a flexible, stretchable thin-film elastic material sheet.

The sensor has the same size as a band-aid and its weight is significantly reduced. This flexible sensor can be used in aircraft airbag systems to reduce aircraft maintenance costs and shorten maintenance cycles. In addition, the wearable sensor can also sense motion, predict and improve human body function.

Successful development of a flexible sensor with a band-aid size can significantly reduce the load on next-generation ISR sensors.

(Original Title: U.S. Air Force Scientists Successfully Developed Small-sized Flexible Sensors)