Kirigami‐Inspired Textile Electronics: K.I.T.E.

Abstract Electronic textiles (e‐textiles) are in prime position to revolutionize the field of wearable electronics owing to their ubiquitous use and universal acceptance. However, mechanical incompatibility between the rigid conductive components on the soft textile platforms creates fragile e‐textile systems with poor electromechanical attributes. In this work, a novel design strategy to inkjet print reactive silver inks onto woven textiles with Kirigami‐inspired patterning to create e‐textiles with enhanced electromechanical features is introduced. By controlling the print processing and curing conditions, uniform conductive coatings with sheet resistances of 0.09 Ω sq⁻¹ are achieved such that they do not interfere with the textiles innate flexibility, breathability, comfort, and fabric hand. The electromechanical coupling of the printed textiles shows a direct dependence on the anisotropic nature of the woven structures. Introducing Kirigami patterning creates robust devices that enhance and stabilize the electrical conductivity (ΔR/R₀ < −20%) over large strain regimes (>150%). Furthermore, an electrocardiogram monitoring system fabricated from Kirigami e‐textiles exhibits stable signal acquisition under extreme deformations from arm joint flexion. The distinct properties of Kirigami patterning on e‐textiles enable unprecedented electromechanical performance in wearable textile electronics.