Carbon Conductive Paste Smart Textile Strain Sensor for Sports and Rehabilitation

Due to the growth observed in the wearable market, stretchable strain sensors have been the focus of several studies. However, combining high sensitivity and linearity with low hysteresis presents a difficult challenge. Here, we propose a stretchable strain sensor obtained with off-the-shelf materials by printing a carbon conductive paste into a piece of fabric to be integrated into a smart garment. This process is cheap and easily scalable, allowing its mass production. The sensor developed has a large sensitivity (GF=11.27), high linearity (R-2>0.99), very low hysteresis (gamma(H) = 4.23%) and brings an added value, for example, in sports or rehabilitation monitoring.