Manipulating Nanowire Structures for Anti-Interference and Bimodal Flexible Tactile Sensors.

Abstract

Flexible tactile sensors (FTS) excel in precise signal detection for biomimetic prosthetics, healthcare, and wearable devices yet struggle to sense single tactile signals amid interference while preserving sensitivity. Here, inspired by scorpions, we report ultrasensitive bimodal FTS with superior anti-interference capability, leveraging interface assembly techniques combined with mechanical strategies. Significantly, precise control over the preparation of large-area, highly ordered silver nanowires (Ag NWs) was achieved through our innovative and feasible strategy. The formation of crack structure in the Mode I enables an ultrasensitive sensing performance (GF = 7.58 × 10⁵; detection limit: 0.01%). Conversely, the ordered nanowires with a 3D buckled structure in Mode II make FTS insensitive to various external stimuli. Moreover, our FTS achieves exceptional anti-interference capability to other stimuli (temperature, humidity, and impacts). More importantly, the FTS is applied to monitor the wrist joint and spinal movements, showcasing their immense potential in intelligent healthcare and disease prevention.