Researchers have invented a new sensor technology that combines nanotechnology and 3D printing technology. This technology can produce a durable and flexible product, which can generate a new wave of wearable technology.
Developed by engineers at the University of Waterloo in Canada, the sensor is designed to monitor everything from vital signs to athletic performance.
The new technology, which combines silicone rubber with ultra-thin graphene sheets, is ideal for making wristbands or insoles for running shoes.
When the rubber material bends or moves, the highly conductive nano graphene embedded in its honeycomb structure will generate electrical signals.
Ehsan toyserkani, Professor of mechanical and electromechanical Electronics Engineering, said the rubber graphene sensor can be used with electronic components to make wearable devices, record heart rate and respiratory rate, record the strength exerted by athletes during running, allow doctors to monitor patients remotely, and many other potential applications.
"Silicone rubber provides us with the flexibility and durability needed for biomonitoring applications, and the addition of embedded graphene makes it an effective sensor. They are integrated into one part. " Toyserkani said he is also director of research at the multi-scale additive manufacturing (msam) laboratory in Waterloo.
The latest and most advanced 3D printing equipment and process are used to manufacture silicone rubber structure with such complex internal characteristics.
The graphene silica gel material has not only high conductivity, but also high flexibility and durability. Can withstand the worst environment, extreme temperature and humidity, and even hand wash.
The material and 3D printing process can accurately adapt to the user's body shape, at the same time, compared with the existing wearable equipment, it also improves the comfort, and because of its simple preparation process, the manufacturing cost is reduced.
Researchers from UCLA and the University of British Columbia participated in the project.
Fig. 1 (a, b) is a schematic diagram of two different coating methods for manufacturing flexible porous sensors with specific shape. In the first type of sensor (i.e. surface deposited graphene (SDG) coating (Fig. 1 (a)), graphene is immersed on the interconnection surface of porous Sr (Fig. 1 (a) IV) by non covalent interaction with Sr. In the sensor manufactured by the second method (i.e. surface embedded graphene (SEG) coating (Fig. 1 (b)), the porous SRS surface is continuously doped with a thin layer of GNP, so that the GNP is well integrated in the SR polymer.
According to global data, while smart watches currently dominate wearable technology, the daily usage of fitness trackers is on the rise (at least in mature economies), and many fitness trackers companies are exploring growth opportunities in medical services.
The ability to integrate sensors into plastic and elastic materials may be the further popularization of wearable fitness trackers to professionals and consumers.
Related literature: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.9b06283