Body-Coupled Tactile-Sensing E-Textile via the Nonfaradaic Junction Effect Enables High Robustness and Resolution in Tactile Interaction.

Abstract

Flexible tactile-sensing devices are crucial for enhancing precision in wearable interaction electronics. However, traditional array-based sensing units encounter challenges in high environment robustness and spatial resolution. To address this limitation, we propose an array-free tactile-sensing E-textile that attains superior spatial resolution by exploiting non-faradaic junction effect between the E-textile and the human body. Upon finger contact, ions in the dermis redistribute directionally at the interface, creating a purely capacitive coupled nonfaradaic junction behavior that rapidly generates tactile-sensing signals (<40 ms). These signals demonstrate continuous, linearly graded, and complementary characteristics that enable accurate touch coordinate localization, allowing the E-textile to trace tactile trajectories (e.g., handwriting) at superior resolution without auxiliary integrated circuitry. Notably, the E-textile exhibits excellent robust performance under harsh conditions like extreme temperature (-30-80 °C, with error <0.0017%), mechanical damage, and cyclic washing (>50,000 cycle). Interestingly, this sensing approach can be extended to various mediums such as paper, wood, and water, showcasing its versatility for interactive applications. With its high spatial resolution, durability, and multimodal compatibility, the proposed E-textile offers a promising platform for next-generation human-machine interfaces.