A novel 3D-Printed self-healing, touchless, and tactile multifunctional flexible sensor inspired by cutaneous sensory organs

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of smart wearable devices and human-computer interaction technologies, flexible sensors have demonstrated significant development prospects. Nevertheless, the preparation of flexible sensors with multiple functionalities still poses a considerable challenge. Herein, a novel 3D-printed multifunctional flexible sensor (3DMFS) has been successfully developed, achieving the integration of multiple functions such as micro-pressure sensing, dynamic proximity perception, and intrinsic self-healing. Owing to the dielectric layer design with hierarchical biomimetic structures and the combination of the electrical double layer (EDL) effect, the 3DMFS achieves a high sensitivity of 2.449 kPa⁻¹ (<0.5 kPa), a rapid response time of 58 ms, an ultralow detection limit of 0.5 Pa, and an ultrahigh pressure resolution of 0.1 %. Moreover, even after complete damage, the sensor can recover up to 95 % of its original sensitivity due to its inherent self-healing capability. Additionally, by employing fringe electric field effects and mutual capacitance responses, the 3DMFS enables dynamic proximity sensing and differentiation among seven distinct materials with a maximum detection distance reaching up to 11 cm. Ultimately, we offer a novel alternative for the advancement of multifunctional integrated robotic tactile perception in the future.