In ACS applied materials & interfaces ; h5-index 147.0
Electronic devices with tactile and pressure-sensing capabilities are becoming increasingly popular in the automatic industry, human motion/health monitoring, and artificial intelligence applications. Inspired by the natural nanotopography of the cicada wing, we propose here a straightforward strategy to fabricate a highly sensitive tactile sensor through nanotexturing of erected polyaniline (PANI) nanoneedles on a conductive and elastic three-dimensional (3D) carbon skeleton. The robust and compressible carbon networks offer a resilient and conducting matrix to catering complex scenarios; the biomimetic PANI nanoneedles firmly and densely anchored on a 3D carbon skeleton provide intimate electrical contact under subtle deformation. As a result, a piezoresistive tactile sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity (33.52 kPa-1), fast response/recovery abilities (97/111 ms), and reproducible sensing performance (2500 cycles) is developed, which is capable of distinguishing motions in a wide pressure range from 4.66 Pa to 60 kPa, detecting spatial pressure distribution, and monitoring various gestures in a wireless manner. These excellent performances demonstrate the great potential of nature-inspired tactile sensors for practical human motion monitoring and artificial intelligence applications.
Chang Kangqi, Wu Zhenzhong, Meng Jian, Guo Minhao, Yan Xiu-Ping, Qian Hai-Long, Ma Piming, Zhao Jianhua, Wang Fangneng, Huang Yunpeng, Liu Tianxi
2023-Mar-14
biomimetic nanostructures, elastic carbon foams, human motion detection, polyaniline, tactile sensors
