Self-powered electro-tactile system for virtual tactile experiences

Abstract

Tactile sensation plays important roles in virtual reality and augmented reality systems. Here, a self-powered, painless, and highly sensitive electro-tactile (ET) system for achieving virtual tactile experiences is proposed on the basis of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and ET interface formed of ball-shaped electrode array. Electrostatic discharge triggered by TENG can induce notable ET stimulation, while controlled distance between the ET electrodes and human skin can regulate the induced discharge current. The ion bombardment technique has been used to enhance the electrification capability of triboelectric polymer. Accordingly, TENG with a contact area of 4 cm2 is capable of triggering discharge, leading to a compact system. In this skin-integrated ET interface, touching position and motion trace on the TENG surface can be precisely reproduced on skin. This TENG-based ET system can work for many fields, including virtual tactile displays, Braille instruction, intelligent protective suits, or even nerve stimulation.

Recent Progress in the Energy Harvesting Technology—From Self-Powered Sensors to Self-Sustained IoT, and New Applications

“…(f) Self-powered electro-tactile system for spacesuit (Reprinted with permission from ref. [317]. Copyright 2021 Science).…”

“…In aerospace, as shown in Figure 10f, Shi et al reported a self-powered electro-tactile (ET) system for the massive space suit [317]. The ET system is based on electrostatic discharging triggered by a series of contact-separation TENGs below the spacesuit.…”

Progress in the Triboelectric Human–Machine Interfaces (HMIs)-Moving from Smart Gloves to AI/Haptic Enabled HMI in the 5G/IoT Era

“…(k) Electrical discharge based feedback system using TENG array with ball electrode. Reprinted with permission from Reference [309], Copyright 2020, AAAS. (l) A multi-modal sensing and feedback glove with liquid metal based resistive strain sensor, vibrator, and thermal feedback units.…”

“…Moving forward, TENG is also directly used as a feedback unit via the generated voltage. As shown in Figure 7k, Shi et al designed a TENG array with ball electrodes to make a feedback system for VR [309]. When the slider is sliding across the TENG array, the electrical output can be generated via the triboelectrification effect.…”

Recent Advances in Flexible Tactile Sensors for Intelligent Systems

“…In order to meet practical applications, single-function tactile sensors are developing towards multifunction use in terms of being self-powered, visualization capabilities, biodegradability, being self-healing, etc. [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. Among them, we focus on the recent representative development of high-resolution, high-sensitivity, self-powered, and visualization capabilities which are also the key development direction of flexible tactile sensing in the future.…”