Metamaterial‐Inspired Skin‐Conformal Flexoelectric Sports Monitoring Sensor

ABSTRACT Flexoelectricity, a universal electromechanical coupling effect in all dielectric materials, offers a broader range of material selection for fabricating smart and functional devices. Inspired by the serpentine structures found in muscle fibers, this work proposes a metamaterial‐inspired flexoelectric sports monitoring (MFSM) sensor based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), by integrating the concept of microstructural design from metamaterials into sensor engineering. The flexoelectric polarization response can be modulated by both the structural characters of the initial serpentine microstructure and the application of hierarchical lattice design strategies. Experiments demonstrate that, under specific geometric and loading conditions, the proposed MFSM sensor achieves a 44.5‐fold enhancement in the effective transverse piezoelectric coefficient at the macroscopic device level compared to AlN. Furthermore, the structural design can be tailored to match the nonlinear J‐shaped stress‐strain curves of different skin regions, enabling a conformal fit. Finally, by integrating a Wi‐Fi module for real‐time signal monitoring and utilizing deep learning for motion posture identification, the proposed MFSM sensor achieves 100% classification accuracy across seven human motion categories in a single‐subject proof‐of‐concept study. Subject to further validation across broader demographics, this work is anticipated to offer novel solutions for postoperative rehabilitation and athletic posture correction.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2026-06-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202529747
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Metamaterial‐Inspired Skin‐Conformal Flexoelectric Sports Monitoring Sensor

Hongyun Zhao, Zhuangzhuang He, Yifan Kong, Weiqiu Chen et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
article

Metamaterial‐Inspired Skin‐Conformal Flexoelectric Sports Monitoring Sensor

Hongyun Zhao, Zhuangzhuang He, Yifan Kong, Weiqiu Chen, Danjie Zhu, Wen Yao, Chunli Zhang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Flexoelectricity, a universal electromechanical coupling effect in all dielectric materials, offers a broader range of material selection for fabricating smart and functional devices. Inspired by the serpentine structures found in muscle fibers, this work proposes a metamaterial‐inspired flexoelectric sports monitoring (MFSM) sensor based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), by integrating the concept of microstructural design from metamaterials into sensor engineering. The flexoelectric polarization response can be modulated by both the structural characters of the initial serpentine microstructure and the application of hierarchical lattice design strategies. Experiments demonstrate that, under specific geometric and loading conditions, the proposed MFSM sensor achieves a 44.5‐fold enhancement in the effective transverse piezoelectric coefficient at the macroscopic device level compared to AlN. Furthermore, the structural design can be tailored to match the nonlinear J‐shaped stress‐strain curves of different skin regions, enabling a conformal fit. Finally, by integrating a Wi‐Fi module for real‐time signal monitoring and utilizing deep learning for motion posture identification, the proposed MFSM sensor achieves 100% classification accuracy across seven human motion categories in a single‐subject proof‐of‐concept study. Subject to further validation across broader demographics, this work is anticipated to offer novel solutions for postoperative rehabilitation and athletic posture correction.

Advanced Functional Materials
Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (CN), Chinese People's Liberation Army (CN), Zhejiang University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
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