Abstract
Flexible sensors have been the focus of intense research efforts in academic and industrial fields for Internet-of-Things applications. In this revolution, different strategies are explored to fabricate flexible tactile sensors by leveraging the pros and cons. In this Perspective, we focus on the current achievements of conductive polymer composites with three bottle-up micro/nano-conductive network structures based on the fundamental tunneling percolation theory and their potentialities and drawbacks for tactile sensor applications. Then, we highlight how model simulations can be used to elucidate the structure and property relationship clearly and guide the modulation of the network structure of conductive composites. Finally, benefiting from the precise definition of the parameters of the composites by model simulation, we discuss the perspectives of the emerging machine learning paradigm on inverse design and development of newly conductive polymer composites in the future.
Highlights
INTRODUCTIONWith the progress of the fourth industrial revolution, cutting-edge technologies and breakthroughs in the field of smart sensing devices, soft robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), quantum computing, cyber-human interfaces (CHI), automation control (AC) systems, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will redefine the relationship between human beings and the future world and modify our perception.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] As for smart sensing systems, tactile sensors that can change their electrical signals in response to various stress stimuli, including lateral strain, pressure, shear, flexion, and vibrations, they are indispensable constituents of advanced systems, for instance, signal acquisition and recognition for AI systems and CHI systems, cooperative control of soft robots, and real-time feedback of AC systems.[8,9,10]
Different strategies are explored to fabricate flexible tactile sensors by leveraging the pros and cons. In this Perspective, we focus on the current achievements of conductive polymer composites with three bottle-up micro/nano-conductive network structures based on the fundamental tunneling percolation theory and their potentialities and drawbacks for tactile sensor applications
Distinct simulation and analytical formula based on the density of wires, their aspect ratio, and the contact resistance were applied to describe the piezoresistive performance of randomly dispersed Ag NWs network, without invoking the tunneling percolation theory
Summary
With the progress of the fourth industrial revolution, cutting-edge technologies and breakthroughs in the field of smart sensing devices, soft robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), quantum computing, cyber-human interfaces (CHI), automation control (AC) systems, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will redefine the relationship between human beings and the future world and modify our perception.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] As for smart sensing systems, tactile sensors that can change their electrical signals in response to various stress stimuli, including lateral strain, pressure, shear, flexion, and vibrations, they are indispensable constituents of advanced systems, for instance, signal acquisition and recognition for AI systems and CHI systems, cooperative control of soft robots, and real-time feedback of AC systems.[8,9,10]. It still remains a challenge to modulate the electrical properties of sensing devices in the perspective of materials science and engineering Another important approach is to prepare conductive blending polymer nanocomposites, which are a viable alternative to patterned sensor technologies. Due to the diversity of materials choice and blending processing methods, conductive blending polymer nanocomposites have been applied in many fields, such as energy storage and conversion,[40–42] electromagnetic interference shielding,[43] biomedical areas,[44] and other practical engineering fields.[45] This perspective paper proposed to emphasize on conductive blending polymer nanocomposites as candidates for flexible sensors and the modulation of their micro- or nanoscale conductive network structure.[46–49]. The structural design of the composite sensing device can be achieved by different materials processing techniques These unique priorities of the conductive polymer composites provide a toolbox for sensing engineering applications. We will discuss perspective modeling simulation and machine learning on guiding the design of conductive composites with desirable properties
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