Insights into Materials, Physics, and Applications in Flexible and Wearable Acoustic Sensing Technology.

Journal: Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Published Date: Dec 10, 2023

Abstract

Sound plays a crucial role in the perception of the world. It allows to communicate, learn, and detect potential dangers, diagnose diseases, and much more. However, traditional acoustic sensors are limited in their form factors, being rigid and cumbersome, which restricts their potential applications. Recently, acoustic sensors have made significant advancements, transitioning from rudimentary forms to wearable devices and smart everyday clothing that can conform to soft, curved, and deformable surfaces or surroundings. In this review, the latest scientific and technological breakthroughs with insightful analysis in materials, physics, design principles, fabrication strategies, functions, and applications of flexible and wearable acoustic sensing technology are comprehensively explored. The new generation of acoustic sensors that can recognize voice, interact with machines, control robots, enable marine positioning and localization, monitor structural health, diagnose human vital signs in deep tissues, and perform organ imaging is highlighted. These innovations offer unique solutions to significant challenges in fields such as healthcare, biomedicine, wearables, robotics, and metaverse. Finally, the existing challenges and future opportunities in the field are addressed, providing strategies to advance acoustic sensing technologies for intriguing real-world applications and inspire new research directions.

Authors

  • Zhiwei Lin
    State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China.
  • Shengshun Duan
    State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China.
  • Mingyang Liu
    Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
  • Chao Dang
    Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, 26469Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
  • Shengtai Qian
    School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
  • Luxue Zhang
    State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China.
  • Hailiang Wang
    Center for System Informatics, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
  • Wei Yan
    State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China. Electronic address: yanwei@njau.edu.cn.
  • Meifang Zhu
    Department of Ultrasound, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.

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