| Abstract Scope |
This talk will discuss two classes of soft materials that can be used or combined to make truly soft devices for wearables: liquid metals and hydrogels. Liquid metals are attractive because of their remarkable properties: metallic conductivity, melting points below room temperature, water-like viscosity, low-toxicity, and effectively zero vapor pressure (they do not evaporate). Hydrogels are attractive because they are inexpensive, soft, ionically conductive, and biocompatible. The talk will discuss our latest results to study, utilize, and combine these materials for energy harvesting, sweat harvesting from the skin, and body motion sensing. This work has implications for soft and stretchable electronics; that is, devices with desirable mechanical properties for human-machine interfacing, soft robotics, and wearable electronics. |