Self-Powered Flexible Hydrogel Sensor with Unbreakable Compressible Tolerance for Multiple Tactile Perception.

Abstract

With the rapid development of bionic electronics for healthcare and human-machine interaction, developing flexible sensors that combine skin-like softness, operational stability, self-powered capability, and high sensitivity remains a major challenge. Here, we report a simple and cost-effective strategy to fabricate adhesive, transparent, and conductive hydrogel electrodes with skin-like mechanical properties, which remain stable under nearly 100% compression. Based on a single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), the electrodes were further integrated into a self-powered flexible strain sensor exhibiting high sensitivity, good linearity, fast response, and excellent stability. A tactile signal monitoring and analysis system for a robotic hand was developed and combined with machine learning algorithms to achieve accurate fruit identification and torque recognition during flexible assembly. The sensor also enables physiological monitoring, including handwriting, gait, voice, and respiratory signals, demonstrating broad potential in robotic electronic skin, intelligent motion monitoring, and human-machine interaction.