Extraordinarily Sensitive and Low-Voltage Operational Cloth-Based Electronic Skin for Wearable Sensing and Multifunctional Integration Uses: A Tactile-Induced Insulating-to-Conducting Transition

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 26; no. 8; pp. 1286 - 1295
• Main Authors: Lai, Ying-Chih, Ye, Bo-Wei, Lu, Chun-Fu, Chen, Chien-Tung, Jao, Meng-Huan, Su, Wei-Fang, Hung, Wen-Yi, Lin, Tai-Yuan, Chen, Yang-Fang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Blackwell Publishing Ltd 23.02.2016
• Subjects: Detection; Devices; Electric potential; electronic skins; Electronics; human-machine interfaces; human-motion monitoring systems; pressure sensors; Sensing devices; Sensors; Switching; Voltage; wearable electronics
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201503606

Electronic skin sensing devices are an emerging technology and have substantial demand in vast practical fields including wearable sensing, robotics, and user‐interactive interfaces. In order to imitate or even outperform the capabilities of natural skin, the keen exploration of materials, device structures, and new functions is desired. However, the very high resistance and the inadequate current switching and sensitivity of reported electronic skins hinder to further develop and explore the promising uses of the emerging sensing devices. Here, a novel resistive cloth‐based skin‐like sensor device is reported that possesses unprecedented features including ultrahigh current‐switching behavior of ≈107 and giant high sensitivity of 1.04 × 104–6.57 × 106 kPa−1 in a low‐pressure region of <3 kPa. Notably, both superior features can be achieved by a very low working voltage of 0.1 V. Taking these remarkable traits, the device not only exhibits excellent sensing abilities to various mechanical forces, meeting various applications required for skin‐like sensors, but also demonstrates a unique competence to facile integration with other functional devices for various purposes with ultrasensitive capabilities. Therefore, the new methodologies presented here enable to greatly enlarge and advance the development of versatile electronic skin applications. A newly designed cloth‐based resistive electronic skin features ultrahigh current switching of ≈107 and extremely high sensitivity of 1.04 × 104–6.57 × 106 kPa–1 at pressures <3 kPa. And, notably, both features are achieved by a very low working voltage of 0.1 V. Taking these traits, our devices not only function as ultrasensitive sensors but can also be integrated with various functional components for multipurpose uses.