BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Seokkyoon Hong (C.H. Lee, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 3:00 PM. Title: Soft Materials for Wearables Date: November 29, 2023 Time: 3:00 PM Location: MJIS 2001 Committee members: Prof. Chi Hwan Lee (Chair), Prof. Hyowon Hugh Lee, Prof. Young L. Kim, and Prof. Luis Felipe Neves Dos Santos (College of Veterinary Medicine) Abstract: The wearable industry is experiencing a significant upward trajectory, marked by a diverse array of technological applications. These applications span a wide spectrum, encompassing real-time health monitoring, human-machine interfaces, and more. However, a prevailing sentiment persists - that being "wearable isn't always truly wearable." This sentiment emerges due to the prevailing issues within the current market offerings of wearable sensors, which tend to be bulky and rigid leading to uncomfortable user experiences, artifacts in motion tracking, and compromised data accuracy. As a response to this challenge, a global and vigorous pursuit of innovative materials and structures has been ignited. This preliminary report aims to offer strategies towards "truly wearables" in focusing on the pivotal role of material and structural innovation. This preliminary report presents a comprehensive set of material innovations and structural designs to develop mechanically "soft materials" tailored for wearable applications. In the first part of this preliminary report, emphasis is placed on the material design aspect, on the development of a "Rapid self-healing hydrogel with ultralow electrical hysteresis for wearable sensing." The second part introduces another material design, highlighting the creation of a "Tough conductive organohydrogel for wearable sensing in extreme environmental conditions." The third section delves into structural design considerations, focusing on the development of a "Spongy Ag foam for soft and stretchable strain gauges."