Flexible and highly sensitive artificial electronic skin based on graphene/polyamide interlocking fabric

Abstract

The rational design of artificial electronic skin has attracted considerable attention due to its potential applications in wearable electronics and human–machine interfaces. Flexible and highly sensitive pressure sensing is one of the primary abilities of electronic skin. In this paper, we present a simple, energy-saving and large-scale capable process to fabricate flexible skin-like pressure sensors based on graphene/polyamide interlocking fabric. The microstructure of the interlocking fabric endows the obtained pressure sensors with a high sensitivity (2.34 kPa⁻¹), a low detection limit (<1.38 Pa), a broad sensing range (up to 80 kPa), and excellent stability (for over 10 000 loading–unloading cycles), and various sensing functions including pressing, vibration, bending, stretching detections, spatially mapping pressure stimuli and even subtle human physiological signal monitoring. Therefore, it is attractive and promising for application in artificial electronic skin and wearable electronics.