Flexible Strain Sensors for Wearable Hand Gesture Recognition: From Devices to Systems

Hand gesture recognition has attracted extensive research interest, as an essential approach for human−machine interaction. The development of flexible strain sensors offers the possibility of directly measuring the finger motion behaviors for accurate and cost‐effective hand gesture recognition, by placing the sensors on the fingers or integrating them on data gloves. Herein, the operation mechanisms of various flexible strain sensor designs are introduced first. Progresses on related materials and device structures to achieve the demanded figure of merits for flexible strain sensors are then reviewed. In addition to continuous performance optimization of the flexible strain sensor devices, the development of system‐level algorithms is shown to be important for not only recognition functions but also for suppression of nonidealities of the sensor devices, which are difficult to be addressed at device and material level. Hand gesture recognition has attracted extensive research interest, as an essential approach for human−machine interaction. The recent progress in hand gesture recognition technology based on flexible strain sensors is comprehensively reviewed. The operation mechanism, material and structure of flexible strain sensors, the development of system‐level algorithms, and the applications are presented. The current challenges and future perspectives are also discussed.