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Stretchy circuits will make for better wearables and robots
Liquid-metal electronics can be stretched up to four times their original length.
Smart clothing and robots alike might soon get better thanks to a breakthrough
from a team of Swiss researchers. They created relatively thin
electronic circuits that can be stretched like rubber up to four times
their original length in any direction. In addition, it can be cycled
that way nearly a million times without cracking or losing conductivity.
That makes it perfect for biological sensors, artificial skin,
prosthetics or for electronics that can easily be sewn into fabrics.
The hybrid
material is based on both liquid metal and solid metal alloys. The team
first created a film using silicone-based substrate called
polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). They then formed a metallic bi-layer by
evaporating gallium onto a sputtered gold film a mere 60 nanometers
thick. When the solid part of the gold alloy is stretched, cracks can
form, but they're quickly filled by the liquid gallium, which has a
melting point of 29.8 degrees Celcius (85.6 degrees F). Best of all, the
final material can be lithographed onto any surface in complex patterns
just like regular electronic circuits.
Without the need to print circuits on a board, the team has dreamed up all kinds of usage scenarios. "We can integrate conventional electronics into assemblies that stretch and carry power, we can use it in soft robotics and smart clothing... but we can also use it to construct actuators that give tactile feedback," says graduate student Arthur Hirsch. In other words, electronics can finally work with our squishy human bodies or help researchers create more life-like robots with liquid metal circuits. Hm, wait a second ...
Without the need to print circuits on a board, the team has dreamed up all kinds of usage scenarios. "We can integrate conventional electronics into assemblies that stretch and carry power, we can use it in soft robotics and smart clothing... but we can also use it to construct actuators that give tactile feedback," says graduate student Arthur Hirsch. In other words, electronics can finally work with our squishy human bodies or help researchers create more life-like robots with liquid metal circuits. Hm, wait a second ...
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