Stretchable electronic devices for wearable and on-skin applications: effects of material anisotropy and extensibility in simple stretchable systems

Stretchable electronics pose a great challenge for electrical designers since mechanical interaction between the parts of these platforms should be properly taken into account and cannot be neglected. This work represents an effort to highlight some mechanical effects related to the use of anisotropic components in this type of electronics; by developing separate finite element models for both textile and on-skin electronics, the authors aim to discuss mainly the effects of material orientation and limiting extensibility in the substrates used, which can heavily affect the electromechanical performance of printed stretchable electronic devices.