Semiconductor ribbons with buckled profiles on polydimethysiloxane surfaces that are functionalized for surface chemical bonding exhibit mechanical stretchability.
Flexible electronic structures with the potential bend, expand and manipulate electronic devices are being developed by researchers at Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The flexible structure could find useful applications as sensors and as electronic devices that can be integrated into artificial muscles or biological tissues. The objective to generate a concept along with subsequent technology that would allow for electronic wires and circuits to stretch like rubbers and accordions leading to sensor-embedded covers for aircraft and robots, and prosthetic skin for human. Presently they are developing stretchable electronic stretchable electronic sensors for smart surgical gloves and hemispherical electronic eye images.
Original public domain image from Flickr