Underwater sensing and warming E-textiles with reversible liquid metal electronics

Emerging underwater exploration suggests the need for subaqueous E-textiles. Large-deformation signal feedback for swimming motions and body thermal protection against hypothermia are urgently desirable. Here, underwater-usable E-textiles with remarkable sensing and electrothermal behaviors are introduced, which are composed of stretchable core-sheath fibers based on liquid metal fabricated via a coaxial wet-spinning strategy. The fibers possess outstanding specific resistance (∼0.05 Ω·cm−1) and robust sensing detection range for both strain (∼600% elongation) and pressure (∼30 MPa), as well as a quick response time (30 ms). Meanwhile, the fabricated E-textiles present excellent low-power-driving electrothermal performance (1.5 W, ∼50 °C) even at underwater conditions. Remarkably, the conducting liquid metal circuit can be well reversed even after being entirely broken out of the sensing ranges. For proof of concept, an underwater glove integrating motion sensing, visual danger warning and hypothermia prevention is exhibited, which has potential for application in underwater exploration.