A multifunctional electronic skin based on patterned metal films for tactile sensing with a broad linear response range.

Abstract

Electronic skins (e-skins) with multifunctional sensing functions have attracted a lot of attention due to their promising applications in intelligent robotics, human-machine interfaces, and wearable healthcare systems. Here, we report a multifunctional e-skin based on patterned metal films for tactile sensing of pressure and temperature with a broad linear response range by implementing the single sensing mechanism of piezoresistivity, which allows for the easy signal processing and simple device configuration. The sensing pixel features serpentine metal traces and spatially distributed microprotrusions. Experimental and numerical studies reveal the fundamental aspects of the multifunctional tactile sensing mechanism of the e-skin, which exhibits excellent flexibility and wearable conformability. The fabrication approach being compatible with the well-established microfabrication processes has enabled the scalable manufacturing of a large-scale e-skin for spatial tactile sensing in various application scenarios.