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S&M4052 Research Paper https://doi.org/10.18494/SAM5649 Published: June 10, 2025 Fabrication and Application of Silver Nanostructured Strain Sensors in Human Motion Tracking [PDF] Yan Shen and Qinghua Zhu (Received April 3, 2025; Accepted May 20, 2025) Keywords: aerosol jet printing, elastomer encapsulation, motion tracking, wearable electronics, human–machine interfaces
In this study, we present the fabrication and application of silver nanowire (AgNW)-based strain sensors for human motion tracking, leveraging aerosol jet printing (AJP) to achieve the precise deposition of conductive networks. The sensors, encapsulated with Ecoflex and Silbione elastomers, exhibited a gauge factor of 45 at a strain of 20% and a maximum stretchability of 120%, balancing sensitivity and mechanical robustness. The multilayered design ensured excellent adhesion, with a peel force of 0.85 N/cm for Ecoflex and stable performance over 500 strain cycles, retaining 95% of initial adhesion strength. Motion tracking experiments demonstrated the sensors’ ability to detect finger bending (resistance changes of 0.33% at 30° and 0.92% at 90°), wrist pulse waves, and knee movements, with minimal hysteresis and consistent responses. The AJP process enabled uniform AgNW networks with an initial resistance of 12.5 ± 1.2 Ω, while the elastomer encapsulation provided conformal adhesion and environmental protection. These results highlight the potential of AgNW-based strain sensors for applications in wearable electronics, healthcare monitoring, and human–machine interfaces. Future improvements include enhancing long-term adhesion under dynamic conditions and integrating wireless communication for untethered operation, paving the way for advanced wearable systems.
Corresponding author: Qinghua Zhu![]() ![]() This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Cite this article Yan Shen and Qinghua Zhu, Fabrication and Application of Silver Nanostructured Strain Sensors in Human Motion Tracking, Sens. Mater., Vol. 37, No. 6, 2025, p. 2223-2240. |