Flexible and Stretchable Strain Sensing Actuator for Wearable Soft Robotic Applications

Despite the emergence of flexible and stretchable actuators, few possess sensing capabilities. Here, we present a facile method of integrating a flexible pneumatic actuator with stretchable strain sensor to form a soft sensorized actuator. The elastomeric actuator comprises a microchannel connected to a controlled air source to achieve bending. The strain sensor comprises a thin layer of screen‐printed silver nanoparticles on an elastomeric substrate to achieve its stretchability and flexibility while maintaining excellent conductivity at ≈8 Ω sq^–1. By printing a mesh network of conductive structures, our strain sensor is able to detect deformations beyond 20% with a high gauge factor beyond 50 000. The integration of a pneumatic soft actuator with our sensing element enables the measurement of the extent of actuator bending. To demonstrate its potential as a rehabilitation sensing actuator, we fit the sensorized actuator in a glove to further analyze finger kinematics. With this, we are able to detect irregular movement patterns in real time and assess finger stiffness or dexterity.