Neuromorphic sensorimotor loop embodied by monolithically integrated, low-voltage, soft e-skin

TLDR

Artificial skin that simultaneously mimics sensory feedback and mechanical properties of natural skin holds substantial promise for next‑generation robotic and medical devices, yet achieving seamless integration with the human body remains a challenge. The study aims to realize a monolithic soft prosthetic electronic skin by rationally designing material properties, device structures, and system architectures. The authors achieved this by engineering material properties, device structures, and system architectures to create a monolithic soft prosthetic electronic skin. The resulting e‑skin demonstrates multimodal perception, neuromorphic pulse‑train signal generation, and closed‑loop actuation, achieving a low subthreshold swing, low operation voltage, and low power consumption via a trilayer high‑permittivity elastomeric dielectric, while mimicking a biological sensorimotor loop where a solid‑state synaptic transistor triggers stronger actuation with increasing pressure.

Abstract

Artificial skin that simultaneously mimics sensory feedback and mechanical properties of natural skin holds substantial promise for next-generation robotic and medical devices. However, achieving such a biomimetic system that can seamlessly integrate with the human body remains a challenge. Through rational design and engineering of material properties, device structures, and system architectures, we realized a monolithic soft prosthetic electronic skin (e-skin). It is capable of multimodal perception, neuromorphic pulse-train signal generation, and closed-loop actuation. With a trilayer, high-permittivity elastomeric dielectric, we achieved a low subthreshold swing comparable to that of polycrystalline silicon transistors, a low operation voltage, low power consumption, and medium-scale circuit integration complexity for stretchable organic devices. Our e-skin mimics the biological sensorimotor loop, whereby a solid-state synaptic transistor elicits stronger actuation when a stimulus of increasing pressure is applied.