A wearable strain sensor with self-cleaning capability for underwater applications

Wearable strain sensors demonstrate promising applications for future digital healthcare, especially in the development of full-range body area sensing networks. The practicality of such devices is greatly enhanced when equipped with self-cleaning functionality, considering the involvement of harsh environments in daily scenarios. In this study, we designed a strain sensor based on a silk/polyurethane knitted fabric with reduced graphene oxide modification, providing it with self-cleaning capabilities through the synergistic combination of hexadecyl-trimethoxysilane and stearic acid. The sensor exhibited high strain sensing performance, rapid response speed, favorable cyclic stability and reproducibility, and broad working range. More importantly, the superior superhydrophobicity endowed the sensor with terrific anti-fouling properties, resistance to various corrosive fluids, and even maintained satisfactory breathability due to the intrinsic porous structure of fabric. This ensures its long-term operational stability under harsh environments. This work demonstrates significant potential for the precise detection of human motions in complex external environments, contributing to the advancement of next-generation wearable sensors.