Smart Skin Research Articles

Acne-related UVA-induced facial fluorescence: An exploratory study from physiological properties to tissue structure information

UVA-induced facial fluorescence (UVAF) is recognized as an objective measurement technique to quantify the severity of acne. However, notable inconsistencies in quantitative outcomes have been observed in various studies, possibly due to the fact that different colors of fluorescence represent different pathophysiological implications. This study investigated the pathophysiological importance of UVAF color differences and improved its reliability in assessing acne severity. MIDOO Smart Skin Imager was used to capture UVAF and analyze the correlation between fluorescence colors and acne lesions. Techniques such as two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, western blot, and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) were used to examine the biochemical composition and structure of comedonal plugs and follicular casts associated with different fluorescence colors. We found that green fluorescence correlates with non-inflammatory acne lesions (comedones), while orange-red fluorescence shows no correlation with either type of lesion. Green fluorescence is associated with higher levels of keratin, indicating keratinization, while orange-red fluorescence is associated with porphyrin from S. epidermidis. UVAF color differences - orange-red are from porphyrins and green from keratin. This distinction helps to understand the structural and physiological bases of facial fluorescence, with potential implications for clinical evaluations of acne.

Transient Starch‐Based Nanocomposites for Sustainable Electronics and Multifunctional Sensing

AbstractDeveloping materials for electronics and sensing based on abundant and degradable materials is fundamental for transitioning both fields toward a more sustainable future. In the long run, this approach can unleash these fields from using petroleum‐derived and/or scarce resources, possibly facilitating electronic waste (e‐waste) management at the same time. Starch, one of the most abundant and versatile natural polymers, has shown great potential in the fabrication of degradable/transient devices. In this work, electrically conductive and mechanically robust starch‐Ti3C2Tx MXene nanocomposites are successfully engineered, offering a promising advancement in sustainable electronics. The nanocomposite films exhibit remarkable tunability with varying MXene concentrations (from 0.69 to 2.42 vol%), allowing precise control over their properties. This tunability enables modifications in tensile strength (from 6.4 to 11.2 MPa), electrical conductivity (from 2.31 × 10−3 to 3.98 S m−1), and gauge factor. Such characteristics make these films ideal for various applications, including body movement monitoring, tactile sensing, handwriting recognition, and electronic smart skin. Unlike their petroleum‐based counterparts, the starch‐based films demonstrate significant biodegradability, breaking down within a month after being buried in soil. This rapid degradation highlights the potential of these transient composites for various electronics applications, offering an environmentally friendly alternative.

A multi-stimulus responsive nanogel actuator with the π-π stacking interaction self-assembly and application for bioinspired smart skin with light, heat and humidity responses and superb UV resistance

The fabrication and development of assemblies of bionic smart skin with multi-stimulus response and multi-color tunable properties is a major challenge in the field of advanced materials and smart wearable devices. In this work, an amphiphilic functional nanogel switch connected by long polyether chain segments containing bis-spiropyran with the π-π stacking interactions was designed. A multi-stimulus responsive color-changing nanogel actuator (SP-PEG-NA) was constructed using ionic liquid-assisted self-assembly. A composite bionic smart skin (WPU/SP-PEG@CF) was prepared by compositing SP-PEG-NA, waterborne polyurethane (WPU) and flexible cotton fabric based on physical cross-linking. The smart skin possesses multiple color-changing properties in response to light, heat and humidity. Even under ultra-low UV intensity (0.025 mW/cm2), WPU/SP-PEG@CF also exhibits significant photochromic properties. Surprising, the smart composite constructed with the nanogels possessed extremely high UV shielding performance (UPF 628.68) and photocontrolled hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition properties. The self-assembled nanogel actuators greatly improved the stimulus–response sensitivity. The multiple supramolecular noncovalent interactions of the nanogel actuator such as hydrophilic long polyether structures hydrogen-bonding and π-π stacking interactions endowed nanogel highly self-assembly properties. They showed excellent multi-stimulus response in color-changing, versatility and reversibility. The multi-stimulus responsive and multifunctional smart composites prepared using self-assembled nanogel has potential applications in smart wearable materials, sensors and information display.

Smart Materials for Modern Facades: An AI-Powered Selection Process

Abstract According to the mid-21st century’s technological advancements, artificial intelligence has gained popularity as a transformative tool due to its immense integration in the evolving field of architecture. Evidently, it is being used in the building skin design to enhance the energy efficiency and to reduce the continuously rising energy waste and consumption problem in office buildings. Despite AI’s immense advancements, it lacks sufficient data with regards to the turf of smart skin design in office building for energy optimisation. Hence, this research aims to develop a framework for the optimal integration of artificial intelligence in the selection process of smart materials for energy efficient design for office buildings’ skin. To reach this aim, a mixed-method approach using quantitative and qualitative analysis will be implemented. First, theoretical research utilising archives and case study analysis is conducted to determine the various applications of AI in architecture, the components of a smart office building skin focusing on smart materials, the definition of energy efficiency and its measurement tools and the miscellaneous AI tools that are inaugurated to design an office building skin. As a result, a framework will be created by integrating the optimal AI tools in the selection process of smart materials for energy efficient smart skin design. Second, the applied studies are performed using empirical and experimental analysis to test and support the framework through case study analysis and comparison to test the framework obtained from the literature review aiming to cover the gap identified in the selection process of the materials.

Highly Sensitive, Degradable, and Rapid Self-Healing Hydrogel Sensor with Semi-Interpenetrating Network for Recognition of Micro-Expressions.

Flexible conductive hydrogels have revolutionized the lives and are widely applied in health monitoring and wearable electronics as a new generation of sensing materials. However, the inherent low mechanical strength, sensitivity, and lack of rapid self-healing capacity results in their short life, poor detection accuracy, and environmental pollution. Inspired by the molecular structure of bone and its chemical characteristics, a novel fully physically cross-linked conductive hydrogel is fabricated by the introduction of nanohydroxyapatite (HAp) as the dynamic junction points. In detail, the dynamically cross-linked network, including multiple physical interactions, provides it with rapid self-healing ability and excellent mechanical properties (elongation at break (>1200%), tensile strength (174kPa), and resilience (92.61%)). Besides, the ions (Cl-, Li+, Ca2+) that move freely within the system impart outstanding electrical conductivity (2.46±0.15 S m-1), high sensitivity (gauge factor, GF>8), good antifreeze (-40.2°C), and humidity properties. The assembled sensor can be employed to sensitively detect various large human motions and subtle changes in behavior (facial expressions, speech recognition). Meanwhile, the hydrogel sensor can also degrade in phosphate-buffered saline solution without causing any environmental pollution. Therefore, the designed hydrogels may become a promising candidate material in the future potential applications for smart wearable sensors and electronic skin.

Wireless high-resolution surface facial electromyography mask for discrimination of standardized facial expressions in healthy adults

Wired high resolution surface electromyography (sEMG) using gelled electrodes is a standard method for psycho-physiological, neurological and medical research. Despite its widespread use electrode placement is elaborative, time-consuming, and the overall experimental setting is prone to mechanical artifacts and thus offers little flexibility. Wireless and easy-to-apply technologies would facilitate more accessible examination in a realistic setting. To address this, a novel smart skin technology consisting of wireless dry 16-electrodes was tested. The soft electrode arrays were attached to the right hemiface of 37 healthy adult participants (60% female; 20 to 57 years). The participants performed three runs of a standard set of different facial expression exercises. Linear mixed-effects models utilizing the sEMG amplitudes as outcome measure were used to evaluate differences between the facial movement tasks and runs (separately for every task). The smart electrodes showed specific activation patterns for each of the exercises. 82% of the exercises could be differentiated from each other with very high precision when using the average muscle action of all electrodes. The effects were consistent during the 3 runs. Thus, it appears that wireless high-resolution sEMG analysis with smart skin technology successfully discriminates standard facial expressions in research and clinical settings.

A New Technology for Industrial Strain Mapping Using Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Sensors

Measurements of mechanical strain are widely used in heavy industry to design and test new structures and to ensure the safety of installed infrastructure. However, the few practical methods for strain measurement all have serious limitations. To complement these methods, we have developed a new strain technology, called S4 for “strain-sensing smart skin,” which uses single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as microscopic sensors. Nanotubes dilutely embedded in a polymer are applied as a thin film to specimen surfaces of interest. Subsequent strains in the specimen are transmitted by load transfer through the film to the nanotubes, inducing axial compression or extension. Those small structural deformations of the SWCNTs alter the semiconducting band gaps in predictable ways, causing proportional shifts in the peak wavelengths of their near-infrared fluorescence emission. Shifts are quantified by optically exciting the specimen surface and spectrally analyzing the resulting fluorescence to deduce strain values at the probed locations. The S4 method has recently been implemented using hyperspectral imaging. We demonstrate measurements in less than one minute of strain maps containing hundreds of thousands of pixels with 50 microstrain noise levels and 0.2 mm spatial resolution. This technology has promising potential to become a large-scale commercialized application of carbon nanotechnology.

Silicon-Based Piezoresistive Stress Sensor Arrays for Use in Flexible Tactile Skin.

Bioinspired robotics and smart prostheses have many applications in the healthcare sector. Patients can use them for rehabilitation or day-to-day assistance, allowing them to regain some agency over their movements. The most common way to make these smart artificial limbs is by adding a "human-like" electronic skin to detect force and emulate touch detection. This paper presents a fully integrated CMOS-based stress sensor design with a high dynamic range (100 kPa to 100 MPa) supported by an adaptive gain-controlled chopping amplifier. The sensor chip includes four identical sensing structures capable of measuring the chip's local stress gradient and complete readout circuitry supporting data transfer via I2C protocol. The sensor takes 10.2 ms to measure through all four structures and goes into a low-power mode when not in use. The designed chip consumes a total current of ∼300 μA for one complete operation cycle and ∼30 μA during low power mode in simulations. Moreover, the complete design is CMOS-based, making it easier for large-scale commercial fabrication and more affordable for patients in the long run. This paper further proposes the concept of a tactile smart skin by integrating a network of sensor chips with flexible polymers.

Smart skin of underwater vehicle with dual functions of sound detection and absorption

The rapid development of underwater vehicles has posed the pressing and urgent requirement for smart underwater skin. Developing the multi-function underwater skin for sound detection and absorption is of significance for environment investigation and stable operation of underwater vehicles. Herein, a novel underwater acoustic skin with dual functions of sensitive sound detection and effective sound absorption under high hydrostatic pressure was reported. With addition of piezoelectric multiple yolk–shell particles and carbon nanotube network, the smart skin exhibited excellent sound absorption performance and enhanced mechanical property, which retained a high sound coefficient under pressure of 3 MPa compared to the resin skin. The enhanced skin with piezoelectric particles also exhibited sensitive sound detection capability with admirable directivity. The results proved the broad application prospect of the acoustic skin based on piezoelectric multiple yolk–shell particles and conductive network in the underwater extreme environment.

Advancements in atomic-scale interface engineering for flexible electronics: Enhancing flexibility and durability.

Flexible electronics, such as wearable displays, implantable electronics, soft robots, and smart skin, have garnered increasing attention. Despite notable advancements in research, a bottleneck remains at the product level due to the prevalent use of polymer-based materials, requiring encapsulation films for lifespan extension and reliable performance. Multilayer composites, incorporating thin inorganic layers to maintain low permeability towards moisture, oxygen, ions, etc., exhibit potential in achieving highly flexible barriers but encounter challenges stemming from interface instability between layers. This perspective offers a succinct review of strategies and provides atomic-scale interface modulation strategy utilizing atomic layer integration technology focused on enhancing the flexibility of high-barrier films. It delves into bendable multilayers with atomic-scale interface modulation strategies, encompassing internal stress and applied stress modulation, as well as stretchable composite structural designs such as gradient/hybrid, wavy, and island. These strategies showcase significant improvements in flexibility from bendable to stretchable while maintaining high barrier properties. Besides, optimized manufacturing methods, materials, and complex structure design based on atomic-scale interface engineering are provided, better aligning with the future development of flexible electronics. By laying the groundwork for these atomic-scale strategies, this perspective contributes to the evolution of flexible electronics, enhancing their flexibility, durability, and functionality.

An Ultrasensitive Perovskite Single‐Model Plasmonic Strain Sensor Based on Piezoelectric Effect

AbstractInterest in flexible photonics has been motivated by the development of artificial smart skins. In particular, coupling of photonics and mechanics can offer opportunities to realize ultrasensitive strain sensor, however, low‐cost fabrication of flexible sensing device with desired photonic functionality remains a challenge. Hereby, the study reports an ultrasensitive strain‐gauge sensor based on the poly(ethylenenaphthalate (PEN))/monocrystal Au/MgF2/CsPbBr3 nanorod/Al2O3/polyacrylonitrile (in short P/mAu/M/CPB@Al2O3@PAN), which are sensitive to nanoscale structure alterations of PEN substrate via the stress response of the single‐mode laser based on the piezoelectric‐effect. Wherein a low‐threshold single‐mode lasing (Pth ≈ 170 nJ cm−2) is achieved through coating Al2O3 on the CsPbBr3 nanorod, producing the higher quality factor (Q ≈ 1637) to guarantee a much higher sensitivity in sensing application. Reversible spectral regulating of ≈3 nm in single‐mode‐lasing wavelength, with a subnanometre scale resolution <0.4 nm and the wavelength sensitivity (Sλ) as high as 160 nm RIU−1, is validated in response to applied strain ranging from −1.31% to 1.31%. This work not only represents essential progress in construction of ultrasensitive and cost‐effective flexible photonic sensor, but also lays the foundation for the potential application in smart photonic skins.

Fouling Release Mechanism of an Octopus‐Inspired Smart Skin

AbstractThis work proposes an octopus‐inspired smart skin for fouling release. The skin consists of twisted spiral artificial muscles (TSAMs) embedded between two layers of elastomer. Upon electro‐thermal actuation, TSAMs undergo vertical displacement (similarly to octopus’ papillae dermal muscles) and mechanically deform the top layer of the skin where the biofilm is attached. The release is achieved by generating a critical strain on the skin's top layer. In this paper, a physics‐based mechanical model is proposed to describe the fouling release mechanism of the smart skin. The model relates the critical strain to the mechanical properties of the biofilm, as well as the mechanical and electro‐thermal properties of the TSAMs. The model is experimentally validated, and a robust controller is implemented to achieve the desired critical strain and then perform release for two different types of biofilms: bacterial‐based Escherichia coli and diatom‐based Amphora coffeaeformis.

Diatom Cribellum-Inspired Hierarchical Metamaterials: Unifying Perfect Absorption Toward Subwavelength Color Printing.

Diatom exoskeletons, known as frustules, exhibit a unique multilayer structure that has attracted considerable attention across interdisciplinary research fields as a source of biomorphic inspiration. These frustules possess a hierarchical porous structure, ranging from millimeter-scale foramen pores to nanometer-scale cribellum pores. In this study, this natural template for nanopattern design is leveraged to showcase metamaterials that integrates perfect absorption and subwavelength color printing. The cribellum-inspired hierarchical nanopatterns, organized in a hexagonal unit cell with a periodicity of 300nm, are realized through a single-step electron beam lithography process. By employing numerical models, it is uncovered that an additional induced collective dipole mode is the key mechanism responsible for achieving outstanding performance in absorption, reaching up to 99%. Analysis of the hierarchical organization reveals that variations in nanoparticle diameter and inter-unit-cell distance lead to shifts and broadening of the resonance peaks. It is also demonstrated that the hierarchical nanopatterns are capable of color reproduction with high uniformity and fidelity, serving as hexagonal pixels for high-resolution color printing. These cribellum-inspired metamaterials offer a novel approach to multifunctional metamaterial design, presenting aesthetic potential applications in the development of robotics and wearable electronic devices, such as smart skin or surface coatings integrated with energy harvesting functionalities.

Flexible composite film utilizing VO2 self-adaptive photothermal and infrared radiative cooling for continuous energy harvesting.

Self-adaptive photothermal (PT) and radiative cooling (RC) based on insulation-metal phase transition vanadium dioxide (VO2) are among the most promising continuous energy harvesting technologies recently. However, previous work relies on rigid substrates that cannot fit complex or non-planar surfaces. Here, we propose a flexible composite film by bonding a VO2 thin film and a polyimide (PI) substrate with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), which achieves efficient spectrally self-adaptive broadband absorption/emission and can convert between the daytime PT mode and nighttime RC mode. Because of the inherent absorption of VO2 and the intricate interplay within multi-layer structure, the solar absorptance of the film could to up to 0.886 in the PT mode with the incorporation of an Al2O3 anti-reflection layer. On the other hand, due to the phase change properties of VO2, this film exhibits a broadband infrared emissivity modulation from 0.32 to 0.82 and reaches a maximum RC power of approximately 244.59 W/m2 in the RC mode at night. Moreover, the film maintains the infrared spectrum switching capability and high emissivity in RC mode even after 104 bending cycles. Our work shows potential to broaden the applications of VO2 smart coatings, including tunable selective emitters, thermal management of spacecraft and smart skins.

Design criteria for conformal integration of flexible electronics on advanced aircraft surfaces

This paper introduces a set of design criteria that aim to integrate flexible electronics onto three-dimensional surfaces in a mechanically adaptive manner. Previous studies have been limited to conformal integration on specific shapes (Such as spherical surfaces and corrugated surfaces) of rigid surfaces or soft substrates, there is a lack of a universal design strategy that takes into account the complexity of substrate shapes and varying hardness. To address this gap, the paper outlines a mechanical model that utilizes Hertzian contact theory to describe the interaction between the thin film and the substrate, and the conformal surface morphology and stress state were derived from minimizing the total energy of the island-substrate structure. The proposed formulations are verified through finite element methods and experiments, analyzing the effects of Young's modulus, in-plane size, and thickness of the “island” on its conformability. Therefore, this paper proposes a generic on-demand conformal design strategy that takes into account the complexity and hardness of the substrate. This study's findings will contribute to the development of conformal electronics that can be used in various fields, such as epidermal electronics, flexible robots, robot electronic skin, and aircraft smart skin.

Machinability improvement in micro milling AlN after laser chemical milling

Processing microchannels inside laminated aluminum nitride high-temperature co-fired ceramics (AlN HTCC) packaging, a typical difficult-to-cut ceramic, can effectively solve the heat-dissipation problem of integrated chips used in smart skin. In order to improve the processing efficiency and quality of AlN, the machinability of AlN after laser chemical milling (LCM) was studied through the milling force, machined surface quality, surface defects, formation mechanism, and tool wear. This study established a milling force model that can predict the milling forces of AlN and analyses the reasons for the improvements in the milling force based on experimental data and predicted data. The results from the model and experiments demonstrated that the milling force of the laser chemical milling assisted micro milling (LCAMM) decreased by 85%–90% and 85%–95%, respectively, due to the amount of removal of a single edge was more uniform and the actual inclination angle increased during the cutting process in LCAMM. Moreover, the machined surface quality improved by 65%–76% after LCM because of less tool wear, fewer downward-propagating cracks generated during each feed, and the surface removal mode transformed from intergranular fracture to transgranular fracture, which effectively reducing tool wear and improving tool life. Finally, when feed per tooth and depth of cut were 0.4 μm/z and 5 μm, the optimal machined surface quality was obtained, with a roughness of 64.6 nm Therefore, milling after LCM can improve the machinability of AlN and providing a feasibility for the high-quality and efficient machining of microchannels.

Design and Manufacture of Multifunctional 3-D Smart Skins with Embedded Sensor Networks for Robotic Applications.

An investigation was performed to develop a process to design and manufacture a 3-D smart skin with an embedded network of distributed sensors for non-developable (or doubly curved) surfaces. A smart skin is the sensing component of a smart structure, allowing such structures to gather data from their surrounding environments to make control and maintenance decisions. Such smart skins are desired across a wide variety of domains, particularly for those devices where their surfaces require high sensitivity to external loads or environmental changes such as human-assisting robots, medical devices, wearable health components, etc. However, the fabrication and deployment of a network of distributed sensors on non-developable surfaces faces steep challenges. These challenges include the conformal coverage of a target object without causing prohibitive stresses in the sensor interconnects and ensuring positional accuracy in the skin sensor deployment positions, as well as packaging challenges resulting from the thin, flexible form factor of the skin. In this study, novel and streamlined processes for making such 3-D smart skins were developed from the initial sensor network design to the final integrated skin assembly. Specifically, the process involved the design of the network itself (for which a physical simulation-based optimization was developed), the deployment of the network to a targeted 3D surface (for which a specialized tool was designed and implemented), and the assembly of the final skin (for which a novel process based on dip coating was developed and implemented.).

A Tunable Hydrophilic-Hydrophobic, Stimulus Responsive, and Robust Iridescent Structural Color Bionic Film with Chiral Photonic Crystal Nanointerface.

Bio-inspired in nature, using nanomaterials to fabricate the vivid bionic structural color and intelligent stimulus responsive interface as smart skin or optical devices are widely concerned and remain a huge challenge. Here, the bionic flexible film is designed and fabricated with chiral nanointerface and tunable hydrophilic-hydrophobic by the ultrasonic energy perturbation strategy and crosslinking of the cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). An intelligent nanointerface with adjustable hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties is constructed by the supramolecular assembly using a smart ionic liquid molecule. The bionic flexible film possessed the variable hydrophilic-hydrophobic, stimulus responsive, and robust iridescent structural color. The reflective wavelength and the helical pitch of the film can be easily modulated through the ultrasonic energy perturbation strategy. The bionic flexible film by covalent cross-linking has excellent robustness, good elasticity and flexibility. The tunable brilliant structural color of the chiral nanointerface is attributed to the surface charge change of the CNC photonic crystal, which is disturbed by ultrasonic energy perturbation. The bionic flexible film with tunable structure color has intelligent hydrophilic and hydrophobic stimulus response properties. The chiral bionic materials have potential applications in smart skin, optical devices, bionic materials, robots, anti-counterfeiting, colorful displays, and stealth materials.

5G-enabled, battery-less smart skins for self-monitoring megastructures and digital twin applications.

With the current development of the 5G infrastructure, there presents a unique opportunity for the deployment of battery-less mmWave reflect-array-based sensors. These fully-passive devices benefit from having a larger detectability than alternative battery-less solutions to create self-monitoring megastructures. The presented 'smart' skin sensor uses a Van-Atta array design enabling ubiquitous local strain monitoring for the structural health monitoring of composite materials featuring wide interrogation angles. Proof-of-concept prototypes of these 'smart' skin millimeter-wave identification tags, that can be mounted on or embedded within common materials used in wind turbine blades, present a highly-detectable radar cross-section of - 33.75 dBsm and - 35.00 dBsm for mounted and embedded sensors respectively. Both sensors display a minimum resolution of 202 -strain even at 40 off-axis enabling interrogation of the fully-passive sensor at oblique angles of incidence. When interrogated from a proof-of-concept reader, the fully-passive, sticker-like mmID enables local strain monitoring of both carbon fiber and glass fiber composite materials. The sensors display a repeatable and recoverable response over 0-3000 -strain and a sensitivity of 7.55 kHz/ -strain and 7.92 kHz/ -strain for mounted and embedded sensors, respectively. Thus, the presented 5G-enabled battery-less sensor presents massive potential for the development of ubiquitous Digital Twinning of composite materials in future smart cities architectures.

A Review on Magnetic Smart Skin as Human–Machine Interfaces (Adv. Electron. Mater. 5/2024)

A Review on Magnetic Smart Skin as Human–Machine Interfaces (Adv. Electron. Mater. 5/2024)