Electronic skin with liquid metal wiring.

Electronic skin with liquid metal wiring.  

We are developing stretchable circuits that provide electrical connectivity between origami tiles.  Because the LM circuits are highly stretchable, they can accommodate the origami’s large shape changes.  This work includes novel methods to interface LM traces with rigid electronics as well as characterization of LM-embedded elastomer composites (LMEEs) in which rubber is embedded with a suspension of LM microdroplets.  When the LMEE is damaged, these droplets can rupture to form new internal conductive pathways and restore electrical functionality.  These can be tailored to display one amongst a range of electrical conductivity vs. mechanical stretch behaviors.  We have also developed a theoretical and computational model, and this shows that this electrical conductivity vs. mechanical stretch behavior depends sensitively on the microstructure explain the range of observations.