Pushing Pressure Detection Sensitivity to New Limits by Modulus-Tunable Mechanism

Jing Yang; Guojiang Yuan; Yong Shen; Caili Guo; Zhibin Li; Fengling Yan; Xiaolong Chen; Lin Mei; Taihong Wang

doi:10.1002/advs.202403779

Pushing Pressure Detection Sensitivity to New Limits by Modulus-Tunable Mechanism

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024 Sep;11(34):e2403779. doi: 10.1002/advs.202403779. Epub 2024 Jul 8.

Authors

Jing Yang¹, Guojiang Yuan¹, Yong Shen¹, Caili Guo², Zhibin Li¹, Fengling Yan¹, Xiaolong Chen¹, Lin Mei², Taihong Wang^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China.
² State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China.
³ School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China.

Abstract

Only microstructures are used to improve the sensitivity of iontronic pressure sensors. By modulating the compressive modulus, a breakthrough in the sensitivity of the iontronic pressure sensor is achieved. Furthermore, it allows for programmatic tailoring of sensor performance according to the requirements of different applications. Such a new strategy pushes the sensitivity up to a record-high of 25 548.24 kPa^-1 and expands the linear pressure range from 15 to 127 kPa. Additionally, the sensor demonstrates excellent mechanical stability over 10 000 compression-release cycles. Based on this, a well-controlled robotic hand that precisely tracks the pressure behavior inside a balloon to autonomously regulate the gripping angle is developed. This paves the way for the application of iontronic pressure sensors in precise sensing scenarios.

Keywords: compression modulus; electronic skin; intellectual manipulators; pressure sensors; ultra‐high sensitivity.