stresssensing

Stress sensing refers to the detection and measurement of mechanical stress and derived strain in systems ranging from biological cells to engineered materials. It encompasses the mechanisms by which organisms perceive force and the technologies that quantify deformation or internal stresses in structures and devices.

In biology, cells and tissues sense mechanical stress through mechanosensors such as integrins, stretch-activated ion channels, cadherins, and components of the cytoskeleton. Mechanical inputs can trigger mechanotransduction pathways that influence gene expression, growth, and differentiation. Across plants and animals, stress sensing contributes to development, homeostasis, and adaptation, while dysregulation can play a role in disease.

In engineering and materials science, stress sensing uses sensors that convert mechanical information into electrical, optical, or magnetic signals. Common techniques include piezoresistive and piezoelectric sensors, strain gauges, capacitive sensors, and fiber optic sensing (for example, fiber Bragg gratings). Modern approaches employ nanomaterials such as graphene or silicon nanomembranes, flexible and stretchable electronics, and wireless sensing networks to monitor structural integrity, wearables, or soft robotics.

Applications span structural health monitoring of bridges and aircraft, medical diagnostics and therapy devices, tactile sensing in robotics, and sports or ergonomics. Challenges include temperature sensitivity, hysteresis, material aging, and the integration of sensors into complex or curved surfaces. Ongoing research aims to improve sensitivity, selectivity, and durability while enabling multi-parameter sensing and real-time data processing.