Electronic Skin with Multifunction Sensors Based on Thermosensation

Abstract

A multifunctional electronic skin (e-skin) with multimodal sensing capabilities of perceiving mechanical and thermal stimuli, discriminating matter type, and sensing wind is developed using the thermosensation of a platinum ribbon array, whose temperature varies with conductive or convective heat transfer toward the surroundings. Pressure is perceived by a porous elastomer covering on the heated platinum ribbon, which bears mechanical-thermal conversion to allow high integration with other sensors.

Bioinspired Fluffy Fabric with In Situ Grown Carbon Nanotubes for Ultrasensitive Wearable Airflow Sensor

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Recent years have witnessed the explosive development of electronic skins [1][2][3] and smart textiles, [4][5][6][7] which aim to imitate and even exceed the functions of human skin, such as the perception of mechanical strain and environmental factors (e.g., temperature, humidity, airflow). [8,9] Compared with the extensive study on strain/ pressure sensors, [10,11] flexible temperature sensors, [12,13] and flexible humidity sensors, [14] researches on flexible airflow sensors, [15,16] which is one of the key building blocks of wearable electronic products, are far behind. Flexible airflow sensors are particularly useful in transmitting information according to Morse code by blowing the sensors, monitoring increasing and decreasing airflow velocity, and alerting blind people walking outside about potential hazard induced by nearby fast-moving objects.Traditional airflow sensors have been developed and used in weather monitoring, biomedical engineering, aerospace, and mineral enterprise.

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“…Figure 3i compares the detection limit and response time of our airflow sensors with those of previously reported ones. [8,9,[15][16][17]22,23,25] Due to the fluff-like structure and the unique properties of CNTs/CSF, our sensor simultaneously achieves a low detection limit (0.05 m s −1 ) and fast response (1.3 s). In contrast, most of the airflow sensors reported so far cannot possess both low detection limit and fast response time, which limits their applications.…”

Recent Advances in Smart Wearable Sensing Systems

“…[162,163] The ability to restore these abilities to people with skin damage or amputation can improve their quality of life. [54] Several groups have been reported the multilayer wearable sensors which sense multiple sensations. [164] Mechanical compatibility device loading SWSS provides the ability to detect changes in the surrounding environment.…”

“…[50] The ideal flexible conductor materials should show strong robustness and high conductivity under complex mechanical deformation. [51][52][53] Conventional materials such as Pt, [54] Au, [55] and indium-tin oxide (ITO) thin films [56] have been proved to be useful as electrode materials to construct high sensitivity sensors. Hu and co-workers report the high performance piezoelectric nanogenerators (NGs) by using ITO as the electrodes which shows good mechanical flexibility.…”

“…To address this problem, the heterogeneous integration of humidity, temperature, and pressure sensing with electrical resistance thermally actuated layouts will provide a unique opportunity to significantly improve the latest levels of intelligent prostheses and artificial skin. [54] Several groups have been reported the multilayer wearable sensors which sense multiple sensations. [165,166] A stretchable prosthetic with a thin silicon nanoribbon (SiNR) of temperature, pressure, and strain sensors has been reported by Kim et al [167] According to the dynamic mechanics characteristics of the target skin segment, the geometric shape of SiNR sensor array can be adjusted.…”