A wearable, fibroid, self-powered active kinematic sensor based on stretchable sheath-core structural triboelectric fibers

Abstract While the emerging stretchable electronic sensors have been demonstrated as promising wearable functional devices, challenges in achieving highly stretchable and self-powered fiber-like sensors still exist. Here, a stretchable sheath-core structural triboelectric fiber (SSCTEF) is developed to serve as a self-powered multifunctional kinematic sensor. Owing to the advanced built-in wavy structure design, the fiber-like sensor exhibits an ultrahigh working strain (100%) and demonstrates high sensitivity in response to not only stretching but also to bending and compressing. The working principle of the SSCTEF is verified by the coupling of numerical calculations and experimental measurements. A comprehensive study is carried out to investigate the factors that influence the output performance of the SSCTEF. By wearing, it is capable of detecting and discriminating the joint movements of human bodies. By further weaving and construction, it also shows potential for detecting the deformation in two-dimensional region. This work provides new opportunities for wearable and self-powered sensing fibers with full potential in human motion monitoring.

[1]  Xiuhan Li,et al.  3D fiber-based hybrid nanogenerator for energy harvesting and as a self-powered pressure sensor. , 2014, ACS nano.

[2]  Chengyi Hou,et al.  Fluoroalkylsilane-Modified Textile-Based Personal Energy Management Device for Multifunctional Wearable Applications. , 2016, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[3]  Zhong Lin Wang.  Triboelectric nanogenerators as new energy technology for self-powered systems and as active mechanical and chemical sensors. , 2013, ACS nano.

[4]  P. Schilder.  The Image and Appearance of the Human Body: Studies in the Constructive Energies of the Psyche , 1936 .

[5]  Li Zheng,et al.  Self-powered modulation of elastomeric optical grating by using triboelectric nanogenerator , 2017 .

[6]  I. Park,et al.  Stretchable, Skin‐Mountable, and Wearable Strain Sensors and Their Potential Applications: A Review , 2016 .

[7]  Mark J. Schulz,et al.  A carbon nanotube strain sensor for structural health monitoring , 2006 .

[8]  Rita Paradiso,et al.  A wearable health care system based on knitted integrated sensors , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine.

[9]  Yonggang Huang,et al.  Materials and Mechanics for Stretchable Electronics , 2010, Science.

[10]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Triboelectric nanogenerators as self-powered active sensors , 2015 .

[11]  Benjamin C. K. Tee,et al.  Skin-like pressure and strain sensors based on transparent elastic films of carbon nanotubes. , 2011, Nature nanotechnology.

[12]  Daniel Schondelmaier,et al.  Orientation and Self-Assembly of Hydrophobic Fluoroalkylsilanes , 2002 .

[13]  D. K. Davies,et al.  Charge generation on dielectric surfaces , 1969 .

[14]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Triboelectric nanogenerator built inside clothes for self-powered glucose biosensors , 2013 .

[15]  Sung-hoon Ahn,et al.  A flexible and highly sensitive strain-gauge sensor using reversible interlocking of nanofibres. , 2012, Nature materials.

[16]  Benjamin C. K. Tee,et al.  An electrically and mechanically self-healing composite with pressure- and flexion-sensitive properties for electronic skin applications. , 2012, Nature nanotechnology.

[17]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Taxel-Addressable Matrix of Vertical-Nanowire Piezotronic Transistors for Active and Adaptive Tactile Imaging , 2013, Science.

[18]  Stephanie J. Benight,et al.  Stretchable and self-healing polymers and devices for electronic skin , 2013 .

[19]  Long Lin,et al.  Stretchable‐Rubber‐Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator and Its Application as Self‐Powered Body Motion Sensors , 2015 .

[20]  D. Wollmann,et al.  Force microscopy of ion-containing polymer surfaces: morphology and charge structure , 1992 .

[21]  J. Rogers,et al.  Piezoresistive Strain Sensors and Multiplexed Arrays Using Assemblies of Single-Crystalline Silicon Nanoribbons on Plastic Substrates , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[22]  Jie Wang,et al.  A highly shape-adaptive, stretchable design based on conductive liquid for energy harvesting and self-powered biomechanical monitoring , 2016, Science Advances.

[23]  K. Hata,et al.  A stretchable carbon nanotube strain sensor for human-motion detection. , 2011, Nature nanotechnology.

[24]  Tarek Taha,et al.  Highly Flexible Strain Sensor from Tissue Paper for Wearable Electronics , 2016 .

[25]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Self-powered velocity and trajectory tracking sensor array made of planar triboelectric nanogenerator pixels , 2014 .

[26]  Tao Jiang,et al.  Tunable Optical Modulator by Coupling a Triboelectric Nanogenerator and a Dielectric Elastomer , 2017 .

[27]  Jing Zhao,et al.  Cordyceps collected from Bhutan, an appropriate alternative of Cordyceps sinensis , 2016, Scientific Reports.

[28]  Tao Liu,et al.  Development of a wearable sensor system for quantitative gait analysis , 2009 .

[29]  Xuewen Wang,et al.  Silk‐Molded Flexible, Ultrasensitive, and Highly Stable Electronic Skin for Monitoring Human Physiological Signals , 2014, Advanced materials.

[30]  Ruijuan Jiang,et al.  Polyurethane/Cotton/Carbon Nanotubes Core-Spun Yarn as High Reliability Stretchable Strain Sensor for Human Motion Detection. , 2016, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[31]  R. Sun,et al.  Highly Stretchable and Sensitive Strain Sensor Based on Facilely Prepared Three-Dimensional Graphene Foam Composite. , 2016, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[32]  Hongzhi Wang,et al.  Self-powered multifunctional UV and IR photodetector as an artificial electronic eye , 2017 .

[33]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Triboelectric nanogenerator as self-powered active sensors for detecting liquid/gaseous water/ethanol , 2013 .

[34]  Chengkuo Lee,et al.  An intelligent skin based self-powered finger motion sensor integrated with triboelectric nanogenerator , 2016 .

[35]  Jun Chen,et al.  Harmonic‐Resonator‐Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator as a Sustainable Power Source and a Self‐Powered Active Vibration Sensor , 2013, Advanced materials.

[36]  Boris Murmann,et al.  Highly stretchable polymer semiconductor films through the nanoconfinement effect , 2017, Science.

[37]  L. Gao,et al.  A Stretchable and Highly Sensitive Graphene‐Based Fiber for Sensing Tensile Strain, Bending, and Torsion , 2015, Advanced materials.

[38]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  A theoretical study of grating structured triboelectric nanogenerators , 2014 .

[39]  L. Castano,et al.  Smart fabric sensors and e-textile technologies: a review , 2014 .

[40]  Ali Khademhosseini,et al.  Highly Stretchable, Strain Sensing Hydrogel Optical Fibers , 2016, Advanced materials.

[41]  Andrew G. Gillies,et al.  Nanowire active-matrix circuitry for low-voltage macroscale artificial skin. , 2010, Nature materials.

[42]  Yu Song,et al.  Flexible fiber-based hybrid nanogenerator for biomechanical energy harvesting and physiological monitoring , 2017 .

[43]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Nanopillar Arrayed Triboelectric Nanogenerator as a Self-Powered Sensitive Sensor for a Sleep Monitoring System. , 2016, ACS nano.

[44]  Chunya Wang,et al.  Sheath-Core Graphite/Silk Fiber Made by Dry-Meyer-Rod-Coating for Wearable Strain Sensors. , 2016, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[45]  Qiang Liu,et al.  High-Performance Strain Sensors with Fish-Scale-Like Graphene-Sensing Layers for Full-Range Detection of Human Motions. , 2016, ACS nano.

[46]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Transparent triboelectric nanogenerators and self-powered pressure sensors based on micropatterned plastic films. , 2012, Nano letters.

[47]  Hengyu Guo,et al.  Blow-driven triboelectric nanogenerator as an active alcohol breath analyzer , 2015 .

[48]  Ray H. Baughman,et al.  Stretchable Triboelectric Fiber for Self-powered Kinematic Sensing Textile , 2016, Scientific Reports.

[49]  Zhiping Xu,et al.  Carbonized Silk Fabric for Ultrastretchable, Highly Sensitive, and Wearable Strain Sensors , 2016, Advanced materials.

[50]  Seiji Akita,et al.  Fully printed, highly sensitive multifunctional artificial electronic whisker arrays integrated with strain and temperature sensors. , 2014, ACS nano.

[51]  Wei Chen,et al.  Neonatal Monitoring Technologies: Design for Integrated Solutions , 2012 .

[52]  Benjamin C. K. Tee,et al.  Highly sensitive flexible pressure sensors with microstructured rubber dielectric layers. , 2010, Nature materials.

[53]  M. Maharbiz,et al.  A highly elastic, capacitive strain gauge based on percolating nanotube networks. , 2012, Nano letters.

[54]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Progress in triboelectric nanogenerators as a new energy technology and self-powered sensors , 2015 .

[55]  Pressure-sensitive strain sensor based on a single percolated Ag nanowire layer embedded in colorless polyimide , 2017 .