Skin-inspired highly stretchable and conformable matrix networks for multifunctional sensing

TLDR

Electronic skin (e‑skin) comprises flexible, stretchable sensor networks that detect stimuli such as touch, temperature, and pain, aiming to emulate the human somatosensory system and enabling future applications in robotics, prosthetics, human‑machine interfaces, and health monitoring. The study introduces a skin‑inspired, highly stretchable matrix network (SCMN) to broaden e‑skin sensing to temperature, strain, humidity, light, magnetic field, pressure, and proximity. The SCMN uses expandable sensor units on a structured polyimide network, possibly in a 3‑D scheme, enabling simultaneous multi‑stimulus sensing with adjustable range and large‑area expandability, and is integrated into a personalized intelligent prosthesis for real‑time pressure mapping and temperature estimation.

Abstract

Mechanosensation electronics (or Electronic skin, e-skin) consists of mechanically flexible and stretchable sensor networks that can detect and quantify various stimuli to mimic the human somatosensory system, with the sensations of touch, heat/cold, and pain in skin through various sensory receptors and neural pathways. Here we present a skin-inspired highly stretchable and conformable matrix network (SCMN) that successfully expands the e-skin sensing functionality including but not limited to temperature, in-plane strain, humidity, light, magnetic field, pressure, and proximity. The actualized specific expandable sensor units integrated on a structured polyimide network, potentially in three-dimensional (3D) integration scheme, can also fulfill simultaneous multi-stimulus sensing and achieve an adjustable sensing range and large-area expandability. We further construct a personalized intelligent prosthesis and demonstrate its use in real-time spatial pressure mapping and temperature estimation. Looking forward, this SCMN has broader applications in humanoid robotics, new prosthetics, human-machine interfaces, and health-monitoring technologies.