Advances in Ultrathin Soft Sensors, Integrated Materials, and Manufacturing Technologies for Enhanced Monitoring of Human Physiological Signals

Abstract

Abstract Recent advances in soft sensors and flexible electronics offer various applications in detecting physical, electrical, and chemical signals. However, there are still technical barriers in current mechanical, electrical, and material properties for enhanced signal sensing. When measuring signals from the human skin, minimizing the skin‐sensor contact impedance is still challenging while maximizing sensitivity through optimized materials and soft electronics. Here, this review summarizes recent advances in materials, manufacturing, and integration technologies to develop ultrathin soft sensors for monitoring various human physiological signals. The enhancements in soft and compliant structures and mechanical properties are critical to making reliable wearable electronic systems. This article shares the details of soft sensors, integration processes, manufacturing methods, and their applications to target physical, electrical, and chemical signals. In addition, the limitations and current trends in developing multifunctional sensors, self‐powered devices, and integration with external stimuli systems are discussed.

Keywords

• human physiological signals
• integrated systems
• manufacturing technologies
• soft sensors
• ultrathin materials