• • PAM-Li hydrogel exhibits a lower Young's modulus and negligible mechanical hysteresis compared to PAM-Li-Agar-3, leading to enhanced sensitivity and stability in strain sensing; the double-network hydrogel's higher modulus and hysteresis degrade signal reproducibility.
• • The double-network PAM-Li-Agar-3 hydrogel, due to its brittle agar network, requires a greater driving force for deformation, which is detrimental for sensing soft biological tissues where minimal force is available.
• • Low Young's modulus minimizes mechanical mismatch between sensor and tissue, reducing interfacial stress concentrations and improving wear comfort during long-term use, as highlighted in the introduction.
• • Minimal mechanical hysteresis ensures energy loss during cyclic loading is negligible, which is critical for consistent signal output over repeated deformations, as demonstrated by the PAM-Li sensor's superior performance.