Highly stretchable and strain sensitive fibers based on braid-like structure and sliver nanowires

Abstract Wearable sensors directly incorporated into clothing or attached to the body have been widely studied in recent. However, the dilemma between sensitivity and sensing range of the sensors still hinders their broad applications in wearable electronics. Here, we present a sensor consisting of a stretchable fiber with braid-like structure and silver nanowires fabricated by a facile and cost-effective dip coating method. The fiber sensors could not only detect multiple deformations including tensile strain, torsion and bending, but also show high and steady sensitivity (Gauge factor ∼65) in a large sensing range (up to 100% strain). Additionally, the strain sensor also shows short creep recovery time (∼1 s) and good cycling stability. Finally, the fiber exhibits great ability of monitoring wrist pulse, recognizing pronunciation, sensing forearm muscle shrinkage and relaxation, and rectifying athlete’s sporting gestures.