High-sensitivity tactile sensor based on Ti2C-PDMS sponge for wireless human–computer interaction

Abstract

Tremendous attention has been paid to high-performance flexible tactile sensors owing to their potential applications in bionic skin, wearable electronics, the Internet of Things, etc. However, the majority of pressure sensors require an intricately designed nanostructure requiring a high-cost complex manufacturing process. Therefore, the high-throughput and low-cost technology to produce high-sensitivity, flexible, pressure-sensitive materials with a large responding range is urgently needed. Herein, a novel flexible piezoresistive tactile sensor is fabricated based on the Ti2C-PDMS sponge as the conductive elastomer. The sensor exhibits a high sensitivity of 279 kPa−1 in a wide pressure range (0–34.4 kPa). The response time is as fast as 0.45 s with excellent durability over 4,000 cycles. Moreover, a 16-pixel wireless sensor system is fabricated and a series of applications have been demonstrated, including real-time force perception and pressure morphology feedback, which promote the potential applications in the visualizing of pressure distribution, human–machine communication and wearable devices.