Ultralight Iontronic Triboelectric Mechanoreceptor with High Specific Outputs for Epidermal Electronics

Abstract

Highlights

An ultralight, ultrathin iontronic triboelectric mechanoreceptor (ITM) is proposed with high specific outputs for multi-functional epidermal applications.

Precise vital signals and physical activities monitoring of human bodies are noninvasively implemented by the ITM.

Acoustic-to-electrical energy conversion is realized by the ITM, and biometric applications such as voices differentiation and the noise dosimeter are demonstrated.

The pursuit to mimic skin exteroceptive ability has motivated the endeavors for epidermal artificial mechanoreceptors. Artificial mechanoreceptors are required to be highly sensitive to capture imperceptible skin deformations and preferably to be self-powered, breathable, lightweight and deformable to satisfy the prolonged wearing demands. It is still struggling to achieve these traits in single device, as it remains difficult to minimize device architecture without sacrificing the sensitivity or stability. In this article, we present an all-fiber iontronic triboelectric mechanoreceptor (ITM) to fully tackle these challenges, enabled by the high-output mechano-to-electrical energy conversion. The proposed ITM is ultralight, breathable and stretchable and is quite stable under various mechanical deformations. On the one hand, the ITM can achieve a superior instantaneous power density; on the other hand, the ITM shows excellent sensitivity serving as epidermal sensors. Precise health status monitoring is readily implemented by the ITM calibrating by detecting vital signals and physical activities of human bodies. The ITM can also realize acoustic-to-electrical conversion and distinguish voices from different people, and biometric application as a noise dosimeter is demonstrated. The ITM therefore is believed to open new sights in epidermal electronics and skin prosthesis fields.