Geometry‐Encoded Soft Strain Sensing via Liquid‐Metal Transmission Lines

Le résumé fourni par la source

Reliable strain sensing in soft systems remains challenging under mechanically complex conditions, where compression, folding, transverse deformation, and environmental perturbations often interfere with tensile-strain readout. Existing flexible strain sensors typically rely on amplitude-based electrical responses and therefore frequently require calibration, compensation, or signal reconstruction to isolate axial deformation. Here, we present a soft liquid-metal transmission-line sensor that directly encodes axial elongation into the time-of-flight of an electromagnetic pulse. Because the readout is governed by the total propagation path length, deformation modes that do not alter this path-including localized compression, folding, and biaxial transverse strain-produce negligible influence on the measured signal. The sensor exhibits linear strain response over a wide working range up to 400% strain, together with a strain-range-independent length resolution of 10 mm. Owing to its geometry-governed mechanism, the device enables self-referenced and calibration-free strain measurement with strong inter-device consistency, while maintaining stable operation under large pre-strain, cyclic loading, and irreversible deformation. Reliable sensing is further demonstrated on curved surfaces, wearable systems, inflatable structures, pneumatic artificial muscles, and task-level clinical tourniquet monitoring under dynamically varying deformation conditions. This work provides a robust and reconstruction-free strategy for strain sensing in soft electronics, wearable systems, and clinical healthcare.

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