Technology Scaling Research Articles

Synthesis of Ultrathin Film PEGDMA Hydrogels Coated onto Different Surfaces by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma: Characterization and Potential Features for the Biomedical Field

AbstractThe preparation of resistant ultrathin film (utf) hydrogels coated onto different working surfaces (e.g., fabrics) is paying increasing attention as an advantageous strategy for customizing their resultant properties. More specifically, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐based utf‐hydrogels are relevant for their superior biocompatibility or antibiofouling properties. However, promoting the generation of poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) cross‐links ideally without the use of initiators or other cross‐link agents, which might compromise the final bioactivity of the system, is complicated. Moreover, the actual synthesis techniques used for the preparation of such utf‐hydrogels face important drawbacks like high scale‐up costs or important geometrical restrictions, completely hindering its technological transfer. Herein, for the first time and easy and technologically scalable technology is reported for the synthesis and direct deposition of PEGDMA400 utf‐hydrogels onto different substrates based on atmospheric pressure nanosecond pulsed plasma approach. The advantages of the technology are explored and discussed, reporting the ready‐to‐use transparent coating of fabrics. After washing the samples using washing programs of a commercial laundry machine, coatings are still well adhered, showing excellent stability. Finally, the resultant properties of PEGDMA400 utf‐hydrogels are exhaustively characterized using in operando conditions in order to elucidate their potential capabilities in the biomedical field.

Psychometric Properties of the TWente Engagement with Ehealth Technologies Scale (TWEETS) Among Patients with Hypertension in Italy.

Engagement with mobile health (mHealth) technologies among patients with hypertension is linked to reduced blood pressure and improved patient understanding of the condition. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the TWente Engagement with Ehealth Technologies Scale (TWEETS) in an Italian cohort with hypertension. This study is the first attempt to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the TWEETS in this population. The study was conducted in three phases. The first phase encompassed the translation and cultural adaptation of the TWEETS to the Italian setting. The second phase involved an expert panel evaluating the instrument's face and content validities. The third phase wasa cross-sectional study aiming to test construct validity and reliability. Adults diagnosed with hypertension were eligible for participation. Additional inclusion criteria included stable antihypertensive treatment for at least 2 weeks before enrolment and the provision of written informed consent. Patients were taught how to use two mHealth devices using the teach-back method. A total of 131 patients were enrolled. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the TWEETS had a one-factor structure and a good level of fit. Cronbach's alpha coefficients suggested good internal consistency. The findings indicate that the TWEETS is a valuable tool for assessing the engagement of patients with hypertension with mHealth devices. Further assessment is needed in various cohorts to confirm the psychometric equivalence of the construct across different groups with hypertension.

Scalable fabrication of vertically arranged Bi2Se3 crossbar arrays for memristive device applications

Despite the unique advantages of the memristive switching devices based on two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides, scalable growth technologies of such 2D materials and wafer-level fabrication remain challenging. In this work, we present the gold-assisted large-area physical vapor deposition (PVD) growth of Bi2Se3 features for the scalable fabrication of 2D-material-based crossbar arrays of memristor devices. This work indicates that gold layers, prepatterned by photolithography processes, can catalyze PVD growth of few-layer Bi2Se3 with 100-folds larger crystal grain size in comparison with that grown on bare Si/SiO2 substrates. We also present a fluid-guided growth strategy to improve growth selectivity of Bi2Se3 on Au layers. Through the experimental and computational analyses, we identify two key processing parameters, i.e., the distance between Bi2Se3 powder and the target substrate and the distance between the leading edges of the substrate and the substrate holder with a hollow interior, which plays a critical role in realizing large-scale growth. By optimizing these growth parameters, we have successfully demonstrated cm-scale highly-selective Bi2Se3 growth on crossbar-arrayed structures with an in-lab yield of 86%. The whole process is etch- and plasma-free, substantially minimizing the damage to the crystal structure and also preventing the formation of rough 2D-material surfaces. Furthermore, we also preliminarily demonstrated memristive devices, which exhibit reproducible resistance switching characteristics (over 50 cycles) and a retention time of up to 106 s. This work provides a useful guideline for the scalable fabrication of vertically arranged crossbar arrays of 2D-material-based memristive devices, which is critical to the implementation of such devices for practical neuromorphic applications.

Solving the problem of automating the learning process through experimental search for an individual educational trajectory

The automation of the educational process and the introduction of adaptive learning are becoming the most effective ways to solve the problem of the shortage of highly qualified personnel under digitalization of education.The article proposes an approach to the formation of individual educational trajectories as a composition of pedagogical experiments, which is characterized by good interpretability in comparison with methods based on machine learning. This approach, unlike most modern parametric solutions, involves an experimental search for an individual educational trajectory for each student of the group, and not just a part of the students of the group in which the application of a specific parametric solution is effective. It is proposed that the procedure of selecting educational technologies be automated similarly to how it is done by teachers in small groups, for example, by applying the automated trial and error method and its optimized versions. The possibility of transferring educational technologies to other courses is considered, without which technology reuse and scaling are impossible. A new function of the learning system is described, i. e. the formation of an individual educational trajectory, which is used throughout the study in higher education.The obtained results can be used in the construction of modern systems of individualization of learning and conducting distributed pedagogical experiments, which, in turn, reduces the threshold of teachers’ entry into the study of new learning technologies and accelerates the widespread dissemination of promising educational technologies.

Epidemic, factor misallocation and efficiency of digital enterprises: heterogeneity study of labour and capital

ABSTRACT To improve the development quality of digital economy, the factor misallocation shall be reduced effectively in the post-epidemic era. This study discussed the impact mechanism of how the labour and capital misallocation affect heterogeneously the epidemic’s effect on the efficiency of digital enterprises. The epidemic outbreak was considered a quasi-natural experiment to set a PSM-DID model and an intermediary effect model. Empirical research was carried out using the data of 1752 digital and non-digital high-tech enterprises from the fourth quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2022. The results show that: (1) The epidemic improved digital enterprises’ efficiency, mainly from the positive effect on technological efficiency and scale efficiency. (2) The epidemic worsened the labour misallocation but improved capital allocation. (3) Through the factor misallocation, the epidemic improved the efficiency of digital enterprises, contributing to the worsening technical progress. Through the capital misallocation, the epidemic improved the TFP of the digital enterprises but there is no significant evidence of its source. While through the labour misallocation, the epidemic improved the digital enterprises’ TFP because of its positive effect on the technological efficiency and pure efficiency.

Scalable Production of Functional Fibers with Nanoscale Features for Smart Textiles.

Functional fibers, retaining nanoscale characteristics or nanomaterial properties, represent a significant advance in nanotechnology. Notably, the combination of scalable manufacturing with cutting-edge nanotechnology further expands their utility across numerous disciplines. Manufacturing kilometer-scale functional fibers with nanoscale properties are critical to the evolution of smart textiles, wearable electronics, and beyond. This review discusses their design principles, manufacturing technologies, and key advancements in the mass production of such fibers. In addition, it summarizes the current applications and state of progress in scalable fiber technologies and provides guidance for future advances in multifunctional smart textiles, by highlighting the upcoming impending demands for evolving nanotechnology. Challenges and directions requiring sustained effort are also discussed, including material selection, device design, large-scale manufacturing, and multifunctional integration. With advances in functional fibers and nanotechnology in large-scale production, wearable electronics, and smart textiles could potentially enhance human-machine interaction and healthcare applications.

Attitudes towards assistive technology among teachers working in special education and rehabilitation centres in Turkey

AbstractThis quantitative study used a survey model to examine the attitudes of teachers working in special education and rehabilitation centres (SERCs) towards assistive technology (AT). The sample consisted of 224 teachers working in 45 SERCs in Turkey. The Attitude Towards Assistive Technologies Scale (Aslan & Kaan, 2017) and Personal Information form were used for data collection, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results found that the teachers had positive attitudes towards AT, with no difference in attitude according to gender. However, there were statistically significant differences in attitudes towards AT based on participation in in‐service training and professional seniority. The findings revealed that the AT training for teachers working in SERCs is limited and more in‐service training opportunities are needed.

Inkjet-Printed Silver Lithiophilic Sites on Copper Current Collectors: Tuning the Interfacial Electrochemistry for Anode-Free Lithium Batteries

Anode-free lithium batteries (AFLBs) present an opportunity to eliminate the need for conventional graphite electrodes or excess lithium–metal anodes, thus increasing the cell energy density and streamlining the manufacturing process. However, their attributed poor coulombic efficiency leads to rapid capacity decay, underscoring the importance of achieving stable plating and stripping of Li on the negative electrode for the success of this cell configuration. A promising approach is the utilization of lithiophilic coatings such as silver to mitigate the Li nucleation overpotential on the Cu current collector, thereby improving the process of Li plating/stripping. On the other hand, inkjet printing (IJP) emerges as a promising technique for electrode modification in the manufacturing process of lithium batteries, offering a fast and scalable technology capable of depositing both thin films and patterned structures. In this work, a Fujifilm Dimatix inkjet printer was used to deposit Ag sites on a Cu current collector, aiming to modulate the interfacial electrochemistry of the system. Samples were fabricated with varying areas of coverage and the electrochemical performance of the system was systematically evaluated from bare Cu (non-lithiophilic) to a designed pattern (partially lithiophilic) and the fully coated thin film case (lithiophilic). Increasing lithiophilicity resulted in lower charge transfer resistance, higher exchange current density and reduced Li nucleation overpotential (from 55.75 mV for bare Cu to 13.5 mV for the fully coated case). Enhanced half-cell cyclability and higher coulombic efficiency were also achieved (91.22% CE over 76 cycles for bare Cu, 97.01% CE over 250 cycles for the fully coated case), alongside more uniform lithium deposition and fewer macroscopic irregularities. Moreover, our observations demonstrated that surface patterning through inkjet printing could represent an innovative, easy and scalable strategy to provide preferential Li nucleation sites to guide the subsequent Li deposition.

Efficient, high-fidelity single-photon switch based on waveguide-coupled cavities

We demonstrate theoretically that waveguide-coupled cavities with embedded two-level emitters can act as a highly efficient, high-fidelity single-photon switch. The photon switch is an optical router triggered by a classical signal—the propagation direction of single input photons in the waveguide is controlled by changing the emitter-cavity coupling parameters , for example, using applied fields. The switch reflects photons in the weak emitter-cavity coupling regime and transmits photons in the strong coupling regime. By calculating transmission and reflection spectra using the input-output formalism of quantum optics and the transfer matrix approach, we obtain the fidelity and efficiency of the switch with a single-photon input in both regimes. We find that a single waveguide-coupled cavity can route input photon wave packets with near-unity efficiency and fidelity if the wave packet width is smaller than the cavity mode linewidth. We also find that using multiple waveguide-coupled cavities increases the switching bandwidth, allowing wider wave packets to be routed with high efficiency and fidelity. For example, an array of three waveguide-coupled cavities can reflect an input Gaussian wave packet with a full width at half-maximum of 1 nm (corresponding to a few-picosecond pulse) with an efficiency Er=96.4% and a fidelity Fr=97.7%, or transmit the wave packet with an efficiency Et=99.7% and a fidelity Ft=99.8%. Such efficient, high-fidelity single-photon routing is essential for scalable photonic quantum technologies. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Optimizing process parameters and materials for the conversion of plastic waste into hydrogen

Abstract This study has investigated hydrogen production from waste plastics using pyrolysis, steam methane reforming, and water-gas-shift reactions modelled via Aspen Plus. After evaluating multiple alternatives, polypropylene (PP) was selected as the feedstock. The research has been focused on how reformer temperature, steam-to-fuel ratio (S/F), reformer pressure, and pyrolysis temperature impact syngas composition, heating values, syngas (H2/CO) ratios, and yields of hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Key findings have indicated that raising reformer temperatures to around 1000°C maximizes hydrogen production in syngas, reaching peak levels of 2360 Nm3/Ton and 2525 Nm3/Ton for reformer temperature and steam-to-fuel ratio (S/F) ratios, respectively, via processes like steam methane reforming and the water-gas-shift reaction. Moreover, other parameters like steam-to-fuel (S/F) ratio and reformer pressure have produced the highest amount of hydrogen at 0.25 and 1 atm, respectively. Optimizing reformer temperature and steam-to-fuel ratio (S/F) have been selected as key in hydrogen production, with peak lower heating values (LHV) of 1.15 MJ/kg for temperature and 1.035 MJ/kg for S/F ratios, highlighting the importance of balancing these parameters for efficiency. Additionally, syngas' hydrogen (H2) composition increased with pyrolysis temperature, peaking at 8.5% at 700°C. Finally, this research has provided valuable insights into optimizing process parameters for sustainable hydrogen production. Moreover, the simulation process has provided cost-effective adjustments and informed decision-making for sustainable and scalable technologies, benefiting researchers, investors, engineers, and policymakers involved in innovative hydrogen generation.

New Parameter for Benchmarking Plasmonic Gas Sensors Demonstrated with Densely Packed Au Nanoparticle Layers.

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) gas sensitivity is introduced as a new parameter to evaluate the performance of plasmonic gas sensors. A model is proposed to consider the plasmonic sensors' surface sensitivity and plasmon decay length and correlate the LSPR response, measured upon gas exchange, with an equivalent refractive index change consistent with adsorbed gas layers. To demonstrate the applicability of this new parameter, ellipsoidal gold nanoparticles (NPs) arranged in densely packed hexagonal lattices were fabricated. The main advantages of these sensors are the small and tunable interparticle gaps (18-29 nm) between nanoparticles (diameters: 72-88 nm), with their robust and scalable fabrication technology that allows the well-ordered arrangement to be maintained on a large (cm2 range) area. The LSPR response of the sensors was tested using an LSPR sensing system by switching the gas atmosphere between inorganic gases, namely He/Ar and Ar/CO2, at constant pressure and room temperature. It was shown that this newly proposed parameter can be generally used for benchmarking plasmonic gas sensors and is independent of the type and pressure of the tested gases for a sensor structure. Furthermore, it resolves the apparent disagreement when comparing the response of plasmonic sensors tested in liquids and gases.

Non-Markovian noise mitigation in quantum teleportation: enhancing fidelity and entanglement

Maintaining quantum coherence and entanglement in the presence of environmental noise, particularly within non-Markovian contexts, represents a significant challenge for the progression of quantum information science and technology. This study offers a substantial advancement by investigating the dynamics of a two-qubit system subjected to diverse noise conditions, encompassing relaxation, dephasing, and their cumulative effects. By employing quantum-state-diffusion equations specifically crafted for non-Markovian environments, we introduce an innovative strategy to counteract the detrimental influences of environmental noise on quantum teleportation fidelity and entanglement concurrence. Our results underscore the potential for external interventions to markedly improve the resilience of quantum information processing tasks over prolonged durations, especially in settings where dephasing noise prevails. A key revelation is the intricate relationship between dephasing noise and the initial state of entanglement, which profoundly impacts the occurrence of entanglement sudden death. This research not only deepens our comprehension of quantum system dynamics under noisy circumstances but also furnishes practical directives for engineering robust quantum systems, a necessity for the development of scalable quantum technologies.

Development of the Compassionate Technology Scale for Professionals (CTS-P): value driven evaluation of digital mental health interventions

BackgroundCompassion is an essential and beneficial value in mental healthcare. However, how digital mental health interventions influence compassion in treatment has not been systematically investigated, due to the lack of appropriate measurement instruments. To address this gap, we developed the Compassionate Technology Scale for Professionals (CTS-P), aimed at mental health professionals.MethodsWe used Q-methodology, a method that combines quantitative and qualitative analysis to explore shared viewpoints on a particular topic, to select and refine items. Participants were 15 professionals from different areas of mental healthcare. In individual sessions, while thinking aloud, they sorted 35 statements on relevance for evaluating technology use on compassion. The statements were based on a scientific conceptualization of compassion with five elements. The sorting task was followed by a short interview to explore participants’ associations with compassion and technology.ResultsWith by-person factor analysis, we found three different viewpoints among participants, all with eigenvalues > 1 and with a total explained variance of 63.02%. We selected prioritized items of each viewpoint and for each theoretical element of compassion, resulting in a full scale (15 items) and a short scale (3 items). Based on qualitative input from participants, the scale was adapted to clarify its focus and the wording of items. While thinking aloud, participants shared benefits and critical notes regarding technology and compassion.DiscussionTogether with key stakeholders, we developed the CTS-P. Most participants prioritized the potential of technology to obtain more information and be closer to their client in facilitating compassion. The main critical note participants had was that technology is not necessary to support compassion at the therapist’s experiential level. This emphasizes the need to further explore how mental health professionals and technology can complement each other in a system of compassionate care. Future research should explore the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the scale through psychometric validation.ConclusionsThe CTS-P can make the extent to which technology for mental healthcare influences elements of compassion measurable and comparable. The scale can prove useful for prioritizing the value of compassion in both the development and use of digital mental health interventions.

Advanced Oxidation Technology Using Fe0/H2O2 as an effective treatment for recycling industrial wastewater for irrigation of Lolium perenne crops.

This study focused on developing a new Phenton treatment of water effluent coming from a local industrial estate and staining industry site. Different advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) such as heterogeneous photocatalysis, Photo-Fenton and UV-Vis/H2O2 using FeSO4, and pure iron were evaluated. To develop this study, water samples were tested before and after each treatment. In general, after AOTs the amount of chlorides, nitrates, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, TOC and bacteria significantly decreased. Photo-Fenton and UV-Vis/H2O2/TiO2 showed the best performance in the treatment of staining industry and industrial wastewater, respectively. Photo-Fenton mineralized 100% of dyes, reduced by 99% total coliforms, eliminated 76% of TOC and 60% of heavy metals tested. Interestingly, use of iron metal in the Photo-Fenton treatment was found to achieve similar results. This means wastewater can be treated with benign chemicals. Treated wastewater was evaluated as a potential water source for the irrigation of Lolium perenne, a conventional crop in animal feed. In general, the physical characteristics of Lolium perenne such as leaf and roof length and width, were not significantly modified after irrigation with treated wastewater. Similar results were obtained using treated tap water as reference. A trace number of metals remaining from treatment was detected in grass and soil. However, the concentration of Cd, Cr, Cu, and Zn was very similar to tap water. Considering these outcomes, use of non-toxic zero valent iron metal and hydrogen peroxide in a Photo-Fenton reaction is a pilot plant scalable alternative oxidating treatment technology for recycling industrial wastewater in agricultural activities.Top of Form

Isolation of Single Donors in ZnO.

The shallow donor in zinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising semiconductor spin qubit with optical access. Single indium donors are isolated in a commercial ZnO substrate using plasma focused ion beam (PFIB) milling. Quantum emitters are identified optically by spatial and frequency filtering. The indium donor assignment is based on the optical bound exciton transition energy and magnetic dependence. The emission stability of these single donors in terms of both intensity and frequency, alongside their transition linewidths less than twice the lifetime limit, highlight the promise of single In donors as optically accessible spin qubits. The optical stability of single donors after FIB fabrication is promising for optical device integration required for scalable quantum technologies based on single donors in direct band gap semiconductors.

Building, benchmarking, and exploring perturbative maps of transcriptional and morphological data.

The continued scaling of genetic perturbation technologies combined with high-dimensional assays such as cellular microscopy and RNA-sequencing has enabled genome-scale reverse-genetics experiments that go beyond single-endpoint measurements of growth or lethality. Datasets emerging from these experiments can be combined to construct perturbative "maps of biology", in which readouts from various manipulations (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9 knockout, CRISPRi knockdown, compound treatment) are placed in unified, relatable embedding spaces allowing for the generation of genome-scale sets of pairwise comparisons. These maps of biology capture known biological relationships and uncover new associations which can be used for downstream discovery tasks. Construction of these maps involves many technical choices in both experimental and computational protocols, motivating the design of benchmark procedures to evaluate map quality in a systematic, unbiased manner. Here, we (1) establish a standardized terminology for the steps involved in perturbative map building, (2) introduce key classes of benchmarks to assess the quality of such maps, (3) construct 18 maps from four genome-scale datasets employing different cell types, perturbation technologies, and data readout modalities, (4) generate benchmark metrics for the constructed maps and investigate the reasons for performance variations, and (5) demonstrate utility of these maps to discover new biology by suggesting roles for two largely uncharacterized genes.

Harnessing blockchain technology in banking to enhance financial inclusion, security, and transaction efficiency

This paper examines the potential of blockchain technology in revolutionizing the banking sector by enhancing financial inclusion, security, and transaction efficiency. With traditional banking systems often excluding underbanked populations and being prone to security vulnerabilities, blockchain offers a decentralized and secure alternative. The study explores how blockchain can lower barriers to financial services for underserved communities, reduce fraud, and streamline transaction processes. The research methodology includes a comprehensive review of existing literature, case studies of early blockchain adopters in banking, and an analysis of the technology's scalability and integration challenges. Key findings indicate that blockchain can significantly improve financial inclusion by providing accessible banking solutions, especially in developing regions. Additionally, its cryptographic security features are shown to mitigate risks associated with cyberattacks and fraud, while smart contracts and peer-to-peer transactions reduce operational costs and processing times. However, the paper also highlights potential regulatory hurdles and the need for robust governance frameworks to ensure widespread adoption. The study concludes with strategic recommendations for banks and financial institutions on implementing blockchain technology, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with regulators and the continuous evolution of blockchain infrastructure. Future prospects include the integration of blockchain with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), which could further enhance the capabilities of financial institutions. This paper underscores the transformative impact of blockchain on banking, offering insights into strategies that organizations can adopt to stay competitive and inclusive in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) seed value chain: implications for a sustainable seed supply in Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

This research aimed to assess the production performance of faba beans, quantify the yield gap, and measure the adoption levels of improved varieties to map the actors and identify the major constraints of the faba bean seed value chain. The paper was based on primary data collected from a random sample of 168 farmers. The adoption rate of improved faba bean seed at the household level in the study area was 23%. It was low, primarily due to a lack of access to improved seeds (59.5%) and a lack of knowledge about the availability of improved varieties (23%). Improved seed users had a 13% higher average yield than non-users and received an 11% premium market price for better seed quality, uniform appearance, and larger beans. Furthermore, the econometric analysis revealed that family size and extension contact significantly influence farmers' use of improved seed. Adoption was positively and significantly associated with extension contact at the p < .001 level and inversely correlated with family size (p < .05), thereby indicating that larger families were less likely to adopt. Farmers' saved seed was their most important source of planting material. The formal seed industry only supplies about 2.2% of the total faba bean seed. Hence, farmer-to-farmer seed exchange, own-saved seed, community-based seed production, scaling activities, seed producer and marketing cooperatives, and farmer-to-farmer seed exchange were the main sources of faba bean seed. The main limitations to faba bean production were disease, limited availability of improved seeds, frost, and damage caused by pests. The study recommends promoting improved varieties, improving access to extension services, strengthening and improving the informal seed system, and linking and integrating all the actors in the chain. The institutional linkage and intensive communication among all the stakeholders are also important for technology scaling up and farmers’ easy access to improved seeds.

Современный массовый туризм: становление, принципы, факторы развития

One of the effective and affordable ways to organize recreation and leisure in modern conditions is considered to be mass tourism, which is influenced by global trends: globalization, informatization, geopolitics. In the article, based on generalizations of the approaches of domestic and foreign researchers, an attempt is made to give a detailed definition of the term “mass tourism” and to specify its phenomenon through the justification of its distinctive features: the number of consumers (mass), motives and goals, the influence of technological progress, industrialization and scaling of the tourism business. The authors highlight factors contributing to the development of modern tourism, including: accessibility, globalization, marketing and advertising, political situation, economic stability, digitalization and conceptual approaches to the emergence and development of mass tourism: the theory of consumer society, the theory of mobile sociology, “quality tourism” and etc. Among the general principles of modern mass tourism, the authors highlight: the commercial principle of a balance of interests, taking into account the global problems facing humanity, the active socialization of tourism. Particular attention is paid to the issues of periodization of the formation of mass tourism in the historiography of various countries; description of the modern understanding of mass tourism, taking into account its influence on national socio-economic systems; determining the main directions for the development of mass tourism in the domestic market of tourism services, taking into account rapidly changing external conditions and factors, which made it possible to identify the main and most popular types of tourist activity.

Biomimetic Contact Behavior Inspired Tactile Sensing Array with Programmable Microdomes Pattern by Scalable and Consistent Fabrication.

Flexible sensor arrays have attracted extensive attention in human-computer interaction. However, realizing high-performance sensor units with programmable properties, and expanding them to multi-pixel flexible arrays to maintain high sensing consistency is still struggling. Inspired by the contact behavior of octopus antenna, this paper proposes a programmable multistage dome structure-based flexible sensing array with robust sensing stability and high array consistency. The biomimetic multistage dome structure is pressurized to gradually contact the electrode to achieve high sensitivity and a large pressure range. By adjusting the arrangement of the multistage dome structure, the pressure range and sensitivity can be customized. More importantly, this biomimetic structure can be expanded to a multi-pixel sensor array at the wafer level with high consistency through scalable and high-precision imprinting technologies. In the imprinting process, the conductive layer is conformally embedded into the multistage dome structure to improve the stability (maintain stability over 22000 cycles). In addition, the braced isolation structure is designed to effectively improve the anti-crosstalk performance of the sensor array (crosstalk coefficient: 26.62dB). Benefitting from the programmable structural design and high-precision manufacturing process, the sensor array can be customized and is demonstrated to detect human musculation in medical rehabilitation applications.