Physicists have created what they claim is the most sensitive strain sensor ever made, an advance said to bring new levels of sensitivity to wearable tech. The sensor, developed by the Materials Physics Group at Sussex University, can reportedly stretch up to 80 times higher strain than strain gauges currently available and show resistance changes 100 times greater than the most sensitive materials in research development. The research team believe the sensors could bring new levels of sensitivity to wearable tech measuring patients’ vital signs and to systems monitoring buildings and bridges’ structural integrity. In a statement, Marcus O’Mara, from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Sussex University, said: “The next wave of strain sensing technology uses elastic materials like rubber imbued with conductive materials such as graphene or silver nanoparticles, and has been in development for over a decade now.