Capacitive pressure sensors based on bioinspired structured electrode for human-machine interaction applications

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics 2025-03, Vol.271, p.117086, Article 117086
• Main Authors: Wang, Dakai, Li, Bo, Ma, Zhichao, Zhang, Changchao, Liu, Linpeng, Niu, Shichao, Han, Zhiwu, Ren, Luquan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bioinspired design; Crack and convex structures; Human-machine interaction; Pressure sensors; Scorpion
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.117086

Flexible pressure sensor is a crucial component of tactile sensors and plays an integral role in numerous significant fields. Despite the considerable effort put forth, how to further improve sensitivity with ingenious yet easy-to-manufacture structures and apply them to emerging fields such as structure/materials recognition, human motion monitoring, and human-machine interaction remains a challenge. Here, we develop a highly sensitive flexible capacitive pressure sensor featuring a structured electrode layer with embedded microcracks and a dielectric layer with micro-convex structures, which are combined with an iontronic interface. The sophisticated design endows the sensor with superior perceptual performance, showing a relatively linear sensitivity of 1613 kPa−1 in the range of 50 kPa and a detection limit of ∼6.7 Pa. Due to its excellent sensing capabilities, the sensors have been demonstrated for microstructure/material stiffness recognition and human motion monitoring. Furthermore, by integrating a single sensor with an inertial unit, the sensor gains the capability to output multiple sets of instructions. This work provides innovative design inspiration for flexible electronics.