Flexible electronics have emerged as promising candidates for various applications, including wearable devices, stretchable sensors, and flexible displays. However, their reliable operation under cyclic mechanical loading, known as fatigue performance, remains a critical aspect for ensuring their durability and long-term functionality. This study proposes a custom mechanical testing approach aimed at characterizing the fatigue behavior of flexible electronics. Traditional reliability test methods often provide only pass/fail results, and are thus relatively insensitive to smaller differences in fatigue behavior and failure modes. In contrast, specialized test setups can enable continuous monitoring of how fatigue-related damage manifests over time. Additionally, by combining finite element modeling, loading more representative of real-world usage scenarios can be applied during each test. The results obtained from this work can provide valuable insights into the fatigue behavior of flexible electronics, facilitating the development of design guidelines and materials selection criteria to enhance their reliability and performance in practical applications.
