Tactile near-sensor analogue computing for ultrafast responsive artificial skin

• Main Authors: Wang, Ming, Tu, Jiaqi, Huang, Zhangcheng, Wang, Ting, Liu, Zhihua, Zhang, Feilong, Li, Wenlong, He, Ke, Pan, Liang, Zhang, Xumeng, Feng, Xue, Liu, Qi, Liu, Ming, Chen, Xiaodong
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials; Flexible Electronics; In-Memory Computing
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/163238
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Ultrafast artificial skin enables unprecedented tactile internet applications in prosthetics, robotics, and human-machine interactions. However, current artificial skin systems that rely on front-end interface electronics typically perform redundant data transfer and analogue-to-digital conversions for decision-making, causing long latency (milliseconds). Here, a near-sensor analogue computing system based on a flexible memristor array for artificial skin applications is reported. This system, which seamlessly integrates a tactile sensor array with a flexible hafnium oxide memristor array, can simultaneously sense and compute raw multiple analogue pressure signals without interface electronics. As a proof-of-concept, the system is used for real-time noise reduction and edge detection of tactile stimuli. One sensing-computing operation of this system takes about 400 ns and consumes on average 1000 times less power than a conventional interface electronic system. The results demonstrate that near-sensor analogue computing offers an ultrafast and energy-efficient route to large-scale artificial skin systems.