Soft electronic skin for self-deployable tape-spring hinges

Thin-walled structures utilizing the release of stored strain energy for self-deployment have gained popularity in deployable space structures. However, the integration of traditional rigid or bulky sensors to monitor their mechanical behavior presents challenges due to large local deformations and strains involved in folding and deployment. Here we introduce a concept of structural electronic skin (e-skin) that is soft, lightweight, and designed for sensing the folding and deployment of tape-spring hinges. The e-skin demonstrates the capability to accommodate significant hinge deformation and enables multimodal sensing, including strain measurements, motion sensing, and dynamics monitoring. The research showcases a promising approach that leverages the design and manufacturing of soft electronics to fulfill the requirements of thin, lightweight, and soft functional devices for multifunctionality in deployable space structures.