Recent advances in wearable flexible electronic skin: types, power supply methods, and development prospects

Abstract

In recent years, wearable e-skin has emerged as a prominent technology with a wide range of applications in healthcare, health surveillance, human–machine interface, and virtual reality. Inspired by the properties of human skin, arrayed wearable e-skin is a novel technology that offers multifunctional sensing capabilities. It can detect and quantify various stimuli, mimicking the human somatosensory system, and record a wide range of physical and physiological parameters in real time. By combining flexible electronic device units with a data acquisition system, specific functional sensors can be distributed in targeted areas to achieve high sensitivity, resolution, adjustable sensing range, and large-area expandability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in wearable e-skin technology, including its development status, types of applications, power supply methods, and prospects for future development. The emphasis of current research is on enhancing the sensitivity and stability of sensors, improving the comfort and reliability of wearable devices, and developing intelligent data processing and application algorithms. This review aims to serve as a scientific reference for the intelligent development of wearable e-skin technology.