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Micromachines
Special Issues
Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition
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Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition

A Special Issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X) belonging to the section "A: Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 7488

Editors

Prof. Dr. Libo Gao

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Interests: flexible sensor; flexible and wearable electronics; 3D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zhuoqing Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: flexible electronics; MEMS; flexible sensor; packaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Gaofeng Zheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Instrumental and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Interests: electrostatic spinning-based flexible microsystems integration; flexible electronics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Haiyan Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Lanzhou Institute of Physics, China Academy of Space Technology, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: flexible functional film; flexible electronics; 3D printing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to their favorable flexibility and adaptability, flexible and wearable electronics have exhibited enormous potential in broad applications in human–machine interaction, robotics, and healthcare monitoring. Consequently, they have become one of the most attractive and rapidly growing areas of novel interdisciplinary research. As the core components of flexible electronics, the excellent flexibility sensing performance of flexible and wearable sensors are important in guaranteeing the efficacy of flexible wearable electronics. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers, short communications, and review articles that focus on the following:

(1) Novel structural designs, material fabrication, signal processing, and modeling of flexible and wearable sensors based on all kinds of mechanisms;

(2) MEMS technique processes in wearable and flexible sensors and simulation processes in theoretical modeling;

(3) Multiple application scenarios in multivariable flexible and wearable sensor systems.

Dr. Libo Gao
Prof. Dr. Zhuoqing Yang
Prof. Dr. Gaofeng Zheng
Dr. Haiyan Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • flexible sensors
  • electronic skin
  • flexible electronics
  • wearable electronics
  • MEMS wearable applications

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 13322 KB  
Article
Reusable and Soft Self-Adhesive Epidermal Electrodes for Human Skin Enabled by Functional Additives
by Sungmin Bae, Dong-Jin Lee, Chuljin Hwang and Dae Yu Kim
Micromachines 2026, 17(9), 1066; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17091066 - 8 Sep 2026
Viewed by 277
Abstract
Wearable electronics, particularly dry epidermal electrodes, provide human-connected interfaces for recording biopotential signals. However, their practical utility is often hindered by their limited operational longevity and the resulting environmental burden of electronic waste, as most conventional electrodes are discarded after a single use [...] Read more.
Wearable electronics, particularly dry epidermal electrodes, provide human-connected interfaces for recording biopotential signals. However, their practical utility is often hindered by their limited operational longevity and the resulting environmental burden of electronic waste, as most conventional electrodes are discarded after a single use because of performance degradation. Herein, a reusable, soft, and conductive epidermal electrode is reported, fabricated through the precise incorporation of functional additives. By intentionally modulating the polymer chain architecture, a homogeneous composite is developed that exhibits exceptional flexibility, high conductivity (~100 S/cm), softness (~649 kPa), and stretchability (~234%). This molecular-level design promotes strong intermolecular interactions at the skin–electrode interface, facilitating persistent adhesion and conformability to challenging surfaces, including wet, wrinkled, and stretched skin. These properties enable reliable electrocardiography acquisition through 50 repeated attachment and detachment cycles, over which a commercial Ag/AgCl gel electrode became unmeasurable after 20. The applicability of the electrode to human–machine interfaces is further demonstrated by capturing clear electromyography signals of muscle activity during a rock–paper–scissors game. This low-modulus electrode platform offers a route towards repeated-use wearable healthcare systems and soft-robotics applications, with the potential to reduce the waste associated with single-use electrodes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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12 pages, 3418 KB  
Article
Engineering Microstructure-Sensitized Paper-Based Flexible Tactile Sensor with Wide Pressure Range and High Sensitivity
by Hongyu Yao, Hongyun He, Qingxu Zheng, Ruizhi Peng, Wenxiang Hu and Duo Chen
Micromachines 2026, 17(8), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17080948 - 9 Aug 2026
Viewed by 368
Abstract
With the widespread adoption of the Internet of Things and wearable technology, flexible tactile sensors—serving as core components for detecting external mechanical signals—have become a key supporting technology across numerous fields. Piezoresistive flexible tactile sensors offer advantages such as simple structure, high sensitivity, [...] Read more.
With the widespread adoption of the Internet of Things and wearable technology, flexible tactile sensors—serving as core components for detecting external mechanical signals—have become a key supporting technology across numerous fields. Piezoresistive flexible tactile sensors offer advantages such as simple structure, high sensitivity, and ease of integration. Paper-based sensing materials sensitized with nanomaterials are simple to prepare and low-cost, making them suitable candidates for tactile sensor fabrication. However, paper-based tactile sensors typically cannot simultaneously achieve a wide detection range and high sensitivity. This paper presents an engineered microstructure-sensitized flexible tactile sensor based on toilet paper/silver nanowires (AgNWs). This study integrates the structural advantages of engineered polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microstructures with the synergistic effects of toilet paper/silver nanowires (AgNWs) to construct a high-performance flexible sensing system. The device exhibits a wide pressure detection range (6.85–273.96 kPa), high sensitivity (39,570 kPa−1), response and recovery times on the order of hundreds of milliseconds, and stable operation over approximately 10,000 cycles. This sensor demonstrates promising application potential in wearable biosensing, health monitoring, and related fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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17 pages, 6112 KB  
Article
Research on Temperature Compensation Technology for a Flexible Capacitive Pressure Sensing System
by Jianyi Zheng, Shuhan Chen and Zhicheng Xia
Micromachines 2026, 17(6), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17060689 - 2 Jun 2026
Viewed by 1009
Abstract
Real-time pressure field measurement in aerospace vehicles is challenging because flexible sensor arrays must operate on curved surfaces under coupled thermal and pressure conditions. In this study, a temperature-compensated flexible capacitive pressure sensing system was developed for aerospace applications by integrating an 8 [...] Read more.
Real-time pressure field measurement in aerospace vehicles is challenging because flexible sensor arrays must operate on curved surfaces under coupled thermal and pressure conditions. In this study, a temperature-compensated flexible capacitive pressure sensing system was developed for aerospace applications by integrating an 8 × 8 flexible sensor array, a multi-channel readout circuit based on time-division multiplexing and synchronous detection, and a Particle Swarm Optimization–Backpropagation (PSO-BP) neural network model. Calibration results showed high linearity, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998 and a maximum relative error of 2.23%. Under coupled temperature–pressure conditions over 5–150 kPa and 10–110 °C, the average measurement error remained below 6%. Flight experiments further demonstrated valid in-flight data acquisition and trend-level pressure variations during key flight events, verifying the feasibility of the proposed approach for distributed aerospace pressure monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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14 pages, 3098 KB  
Article
A High-Accuracy Solid/Liquid Composite Packaging Method for Implantable Pressure Sensors
by Bo Wang, Yubiao Zhang, Yuning Huang, Zhonghua Li, Senran Jiang, Fuji Wang, Qiang Liu and Xing Yang
Micromachines 2026, 17(2), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17020162 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1324
Abstract
This study addresses the critical packaging requirements of implantable pressure sensors concerning measurement accuracy and environmental stability. We propose a solid/liquid composite packaging technique based on Parylene-C and silicone oil. Utilizing liquid silicone oil as an intermediate medium, this method effectively decouples solid/solid [...] Read more.
This study addresses the critical packaging requirements of implantable pressure sensors concerning measurement accuracy and environmental stability. We propose a solid/liquid composite packaging technique based on Parylene-C and silicone oil. Utilizing liquid silicone oil as an intermediate medium, this method effectively decouples solid/solid interface shear forces, thereby mitigating measurement errors caused by mechanical coupling. Furthermore, the superior hydrophobic properties of silicone oil and its defect-filling capability are employed to slow the infiltration rate of water molecules at the interface, ensuring long-term stability. The influence of the solid/liquid composite layer on the mechanical properties of the sensor’s sensitive element was analyzed through finite element simulation. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of this approach: after adding a liquid silicone oil layer between the Parylene coating and the sensitive element, the sensor’s accuracy improved to 0.5 mmHg within the pressure range encountered in clinical human applications. In simulated bodily fluids, it demonstrated exceptional long-term stability, with drift values consistently below 2 mmHg over a 30-day period. This research provides a feasible and straightforward solution for the packaging design of high-performance implantable pressure sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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12 pages, 4245 KB  
Article
The Influence of Mask Modification on Microneedle Strength in Deep X-Ray Lithography
by Jie Wang, Yigui Li and Lin Du
Micromachines 2026, 17(1), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17010136 - 22 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 579
Abstract
Hollow microneedle arrays of different shapes were prepared for blood collection and precise drug delivery. This microneedle array was investigated using shape modification and hole position optimization, and different approaches to increase the strength of the microneedles and hole alignment were analyzed. Firstly, [...] Read more.
Hollow microneedle arrays of different shapes were prepared for blood collection and precise drug delivery. This microneedle array was investigated using shape modification and hole position optimization, and different approaches to increase the strength of the microneedles and hole alignment were analyzed. Firstly, solid-tip microneedles were prepared using deep X-ray lithography, and an approach to increase the strength of microneedles by modifying the shape of the photomask was examined. Secondly, photomasks with holes in different positions were designed, and the exposure was aligned at different hole positions. Finally, the maximum stress and minimum displacement were analyzed using ANSYS 10.0 simulation software, while the proof-of-strength properties were accomplished by inserting microneedles into a polyimide film. The experimental results show that the modification of the shape of the photomask can increase the strength of the microneedles and compensate for the shortcomings generated by the moving exposure. Placing the holes away from the center of the tip can increase the flow rate of the microneedles. A horizontal offset of 30 μm and a vertical offset of 50 μm from the center of the microneedle tip were determined to be the best positions for aligning the holes. This meets the requirements for microneedle strength and sharpness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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11 pages, 1944 KB  
Article
Dual-Mode Flexible Pressure Sensor Based on Ionic Electronic and Piezoelectric Coupling Mechanism Enables Dynamic and Static Full-Domain Stress Response
by Yue Ouyang, Shunqiang Huang, Zekai Huang, Shengyu Wu, Xin Wang, Sheng Chen, Haiyan Zhang, Zhuoqing Yang, Mengran Liu and Libo Gao
Micromachines 2025, 16(9), 1018; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16091018 - 3 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2517
Abstract
Flexible pressure sensors have shown promise applications in scenarios such as robotic tactile sensing due to their excellent sensitivity and linearity. However, the realization of flexible pressure sensors with both static and dynamic response capabilities still face significant challenges due to the properties [...] Read more.
Flexible pressure sensors have shown promise applications in scenarios such as robotic tactile sensing due to their excellent sensitivity and linearity. However, the realization of flexible pressure sensors with both static and dynamic response capabilities still face significant challenges due to the properties of the sensing materials themselves. In this study, we propose a flexible pressure sensor that integrates piezoelectric and ionic capacitance mechanisms for full-domain response detection of dynamic and static forces: a “sandwich” sensing structure is constructed by printing a mixture of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) onto the surface of the upper and lower electrodes, and sandwiching a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin film between the electrodes. The device exhibits a sensitivity of 0.13 kPa−1 in the pressure range of 0–150 kPa. The sensor has a rapid dynamic response (response time 19 ms/12 ms) with a sensitivity of 0.49 mV kPa−1 based on the piezoelectric mechanism and a linearity of 0.9981 based on the ionic capacitance mechanism. The device maintains good response stability under the ball impact test, further validating its potential application in static/dynamic composite force monitoring scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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