Abstract
To demonstrate the wearable flexible/stretchable health-monitoring sensor, it is necessary to develop advanced functional materials and fabrication technologies. Among the various developed materials and fabrication processes for wearable sensors, carbon-based materials and textile-based configurations are considered as promising approaches due to their outstanding characteristics such as high conductivity, lightweight, high mechanical properties, wearability, and biocompatibility. Despite these advantages, in order to realize practical wearable applications, electrical and mechanical performances such as sensitivity, stability, and long-term use are still not satisfied. Accordingly, in this review, we describe recent advances in process technologies to fabricate advanced carbon-based materials and textile-based sensors, followed by their applications such as human activity and electrophysiological sensors. Furthermore, we discuss the remaining challenges for both carbon- and textile-based wearable sensors and then suggest effective strategies to realize the wearable sensors in health monitoring.
Highlights
Wearable health-monitoring sensors have become a part of our daily life
In addition to the challenges to wearable sensors based on carbon and e-textiles, we review various effective research that created flexible and stretchable electronics made by carbon materials or textile configurations
Hossain et al reported a paper-based flexible dry-electrode for detecting electrocardiogram (ECG) signals by using a vacuum filtration method and a hybrid composite material composed of chemically modified graphene and carboxylic groups-functionalized short multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CG-f@MWCNTs), as shown in the simple spray coating method, LBL assembly has been reported as an effective preparation method of manufacturing carbon-based thin-films
Summary
Wearable health-monitoring sensors have become a part of our daily life. The real-time monitoring of physiological and behavioral data using wearable sensors provided us new culture and information for a healthy lifestyle [1,2,3]. In addition to carbon-based materials, electronic textiles (e-textiles) have attracted attention in industry and academia and can be applied to wearable health monitoring sensors, electronic prostheses, and e-skins due to their unique properties such as lightweight, breathability, comfortability, and wearability [26,27] Various materials such as organic and mechanically stable inorganic materials can be embedded in flexible/stretchable e-textiles as active sensing materials, broadening their application ranges and applying various fabrication technologies [28,29]. Two strategies, including carbon-based materials and e-textiles, are great candidates in wearable sensors associated with health monitoring, but there are still significant challenges for practical wearable applications in terms of functional materials properties and fabrication technologies that enable accurately detection of various human activities as well as physiological signals [30,31,32,33].
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