Conformal human-machine integration using highly bending-insensitive, unpixelated, and waterproof epidermal electronics toward metaverse

• Main Authors: Wei, Chao, Lin, Wansheng, Wang, Liang, Cao, Zhicheng, Huang, Zijian, Liao, Qingliang, Guo, Ziquan, Su, Yuhan, Zheng, Yuanjin, Liao, Xinqin, Chen, Zhong
• Other Authors: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering; Multifunctional Epidermal Interface; Property Modulation
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/171509
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Efficient and flexible interactions require precisely converting human intentions into computer-recognizable signals, which is critical to the breakthrough development of metaverse. Interactive electronics face common dilemmas, which realize high-precision and stable touch detection but are rigid, bulky, and thick or achieve high flexibility to wear but lose precision. Here, we construct highly bending-insensitive, unpixelated, and waterproof epidermal interfaces (BUW epidermal interfaces) and demonstrate their interactive applications of conformal human-machine integration. The BUW epidermal interface based on the addressable electrical contact structure exhibits high-precision and stable touch detection, high flexibility, rapid response time, excellent stability, and versatile "cut-and-paste" character. Regardless of whether being flat or bent, the BUW epidermal interface can be conformally attached to the human skin for real-time, comfortable, and unrestrained interactions. This research provides promising insight into the functional composite and structural design strategies for developing epidermal electronics, which offers a new technology route and may further broaden human-machine interactions toward metaverse.