Stretchable, Adhesive, and Bioinspired Visual Electronic Skin with Strain/Temperature/Pressure Multimodal Non-Interference Sensing

Abstract

It is highly desirable to construct a single-multimodal sensor that could synchronously perceive multiple stimuli without interference. Here, we propose an adhesive multifunctional chromotropic electronic skin (MCES) that can respond to and distinguish three different stimuli of stain, temperature, and pressure within the two-terminal sensing unit. The mutually discriminating "three-in-one" device converts strain into capacitance and pressure into voltage signals for a tactile stimulus response and produces visual color changes against temperature. In this MCES system, the interdigital capacitor sensor shows high linearity (R 2 = 0.998), and temperature sensing is realized via reversible multicolor switching bioinspired by the chameleon, showing attractive potential in visualization interaction. Notably, the energy-harvesting triboelectric nanogenerator in MCES can not only detect pressure incentive but also identify objective material species. Looking forward, these findings promise for multimodal sensor technology with reduced complexity and production costs that are highly anticipated in soft robotics, prosthetics, and human−machine interaction applications.

Recent advances in multimodal sensing integration and decoupling strategies for tactile perception

“…Due to the independent optical and electrical sensing effects of the device, non-interference signals are achieved without requiring complex decoupling algorithm. Thermochromic mechanism can be utilized to fabricate temperature sensor via color change [113]. Coupled with capacitive and triboelectric configuration, multimodal devices are constructed to detect strain and pressure.…”

A multifunctional flexible sensor based on PI-MXene/SrTiO3 hybrid aerogel for tactile perception

“…Tactile sensing is an important sensory function through which humans have direct contact with the external environment 1 ; such sensing encompasses the perception of external physical stimuli (e.g., temperature, pressure, infrared radiation, etc.) 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 and the ability of the brain to extract and identify specific information such as roughness, hardness, material, shape, etc. 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 In recent years, while humanoid robots have been increasingly developed as intelligent electronic devices, bionic haptic functions have become a key issue for achieving various complex tasks using such robots 10 ; thus, the integration of multifunctional flexible tactile sensors has become an important topic 11 because such sensors realize humanoid devices with rich tactile sensing capabilities under conformal conditions.…”

Recent Progress of Bioinspired Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Electronic Skins and Human–Machine Interaction

“…The shift towards biomimicry in the development of TENGs underscores a broader trend in technology: the harmonization of human-made devices with the principles of natu-ral design [42][43][44][45][46][47]. The rigidity and limited sensitivity of conventional electronic materials often hinder their application in areas requiring flexibility and high tactile responsiveness, such as wearable electronics and interactive interfaces [48][49][50][51].…”