A conformal tactile sensor based on MoS2 and graphene is demonstrated. The MoS2 tactile sensor exhibits excellent sensitivity, high uniformity, and good repeatability in terms of various strains. In addition, the outstanding flexibility enables the MoS2 strain tactile sensor to be realized conformally on a finger tip. The MoS2 -based tactile sensor can be utilized for wearable electronics, such as electronic skin.

Research on tactile sensing technology has been actively conducted in recent years to pave the way for the next generation of highly intelligent devices. Sophisticated tactile sensing technology has a broad range of potential applications in various fields including: (1) robotic systems with tactile sensors that are capable of situation recognition for high-risk tasks in hazardous environments; (2) tactile quality evaluation of consumer products in the cosmetic, automobile, and fabric industries that are used in everyday life; (3) robot-assisted surgery (RAS) to facilitate tactile interaction with the surgeon; and (4) artificial skin that features a sense of touch to help people with disabilities who suffer from loss of tactile sense. This review provides an overview of recent advances in tactile sensing technology, which is divided into three aspects: basic physiology associated with human tactile sensing, the requirements for the realization of viable tactile sensors, and new materials for tactile devices. In addition, the potential, hurdles, and major challenges of tactile sensing technology applications including artificial skin, medical devices, and analysis tools for human tactile perception are presented in detail. Finally, the review highlights possible routes, rapid trends, and new opportunities related to tactile devices in the foreseeable future.

The fabrication and the characteristics of an inorganic silicon-based flexible tactile sensor equipped with active-matrix circuitry compatible with a batch microfabrication process are reported. An 8 × 8 array of 260 nm-thick silicon strain gauges along with individual thin film transistor switches was built on a plastic substrate with 1 mm spacing, corresponding to a human spatial resolution at the fingertip. We demonstrated that the sensor shows excellent performances in terms of repeatability of 1.1%, hysteresis of 1.0%, scanning speed of as much as 100 kHz and resolution of 12.4 kPa while maintaining low power consumption and signal crosstalk through a series of experiments.