Data-driven design of disordered structures for direction- and geometry-independent stretchable electrodes

Stretchable electrodes with strain-insensitive performance across arbitrary directions and geometries are essential for next-generation customizable wearable electronics. However, conventional designs based on ordered structures such as serpentines, kirigami, and island-bridge generally exhibit directional limitations and geometry constraints, restricting their applicability in complex scenarios. Here, we report a universal machine-learning-guided design strategy that generates bioinspired disordered structures for direction- and geometry-independent, strain-insensitive stretchable electrodes. By integrating a neural network model with an evolutionary algorithm, an optimization framework is established to discover disordered structures with enhanced stretchability and minimized resistance variation under unidirectional, bidirectional, and omnidirectional deformation. Remarkably, this approach also proves effective for irregular geometries, exemplified by hand-shaped electrodes. The optimized disordered structures fabricated via 3D printing achieve a 20–50% reduction in relative resistance compared with the ordered counterparts. Leveraging these electrodes, we further develop a novel stretchable wireless electroencephalography (EEG) cap that replaces conventional rigid, wired designs, accommodates diverse head sizes, suppresses motion artifacts, and achieves a high recognition accuracy in brain-computer interaction tasks. The successful demonstration highlights a robust and universal design paradigm for geometrically adaptive wearable electronics, advancing data-driven innovation in stretchable structures.

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Publication Details

Journal
npj Flexible Electronics
Published
2026-07-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-026-00620-x
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Data-driven design of disordered structures for direction- and geometry-independent stretchable electrodes

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npj Flexible Electronics
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
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Data-driven design of disordered structures for direction- and geometry-independent stretchable electrodes

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article en

Abstract

Stretchable electrodes with strain-insensitive performance across arbitrary directions and geometries are essential for next-generation customizable wearable electronics. However, conventional designs based on ordered structures such as serpentines, kirigami, and island-bridge generally exhibit directional limitations and geometry constraints, restricting their applicability in complex scenarios. Here, we report a universal machine-learning-guided design strategy that generates bioinspired disordered structures for direction- and geometry-independent, strain-insensitive stretchable electrodes. By integrating a neural network model with an evolutionary algorithm, an optimization framework is established to discover disordered structures with enhanced stretchability and minimized resistance variation under unidirectional, bidirectional, and omnidirectional deformation. Remarkably, this approach also proves effective for irregular geometries, exemplified by hand-shaped electrodes. The optimized disordered structures fabricated via 3D printing achieve a 20–50% reduction in relative resistance compared with the ordered counterparts. Leveraging these electrodes, we further develop a novel stretchable wireless electroencephalography (EEG) cap that replaces conventional rigid, wired designs, accommodates diverse head sizes, suppresses motion artifacts, and achieves a high recognition accuracy in brain-computer interaction tasks. The successful demonstration highlights a robust and universal design paradigm for geometrically adaptive wearable electronics, advancing data-driven innovation in stretchable structures.

npj Flexible Electronics
Nanyang Technological University (SG), Southeast University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Government of Jiangsu Province, Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, Southeast University, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
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