Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Design Example: Resistive Touchscreen01:14

Design Example: Resistive Touchscreen

477
A device engineer plays a crucial role in designing user interfaces for mobile devices. One such interface is the resistive touchscreen, which fundamentally consists of two metallic layers: a flexible upper layer and a rigid lower layer, separated by a narrow gap. The high resistance between these two layers is a key characteristic of this design.
When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact at a specific point known as the touchpoint. This contact reduces the resistance between...
477

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reverse Tesla valve modulated efficient water evaporation and cooling.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Orchestrated Multiscale Effects Boost Performances of Hybrid Carbon-Based Water-Electricity Cogenerators.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

Rapid Thin-Film Evaporation with Nanoscale Transport Empowers Efficient Water-Energy Harvesting from Seawater.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

A rubber-based sensor with over 100 million-level ultra-sensitivity (0-10% strain range) via 3D super-interface.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Echinoderm stereom gradient structures enable mechanoelectrical perception.

Nature·2026
Same author

Bionic Structured Milli-fluidics: A Review.

Chemical reviews·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

Published on: April 25, 2020

8.4K

3D Printed, Solid-State Conductive Ionoelastomer as a Generic Building Block for Tactile Applications.

Chao Zhang1, Huanxi Zheng1, Jing Sun1

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|November 4, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a fast-curing solid-state conductive ionoelastomer for high-resolution 3D printing. This new material enables stable, flexible, and highly sensitive tactile sensors for advanced applications.

Keywords:
3D printing3D tactile sensorsionic conductorssolid-state ionoelastomers

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Microfluidic Channel-Based Soft Electrodes and Their Application in Capacitive Pressure Sensing
05:57

Author Spotlight: Microfluidic Channel-Based Soft Electrodes and Their Application in Capacitive Pressure Sensing

Published on: March 17, 2023

2.7K
Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
10:32

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Published on: February 1, 2016

34.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

Published on: April 25, 2020

8.4K
Author Spotlight: Microfluidic Channel-Based Soft Electrodes and Their Application in Capacitive Pressure Sensing
05:57

Author Spotlight: Microfluidic Channel-Based Soft Electrodes and Their Application in Capacitive Pressure Sensing

Published on: March 17, 2023

2.7K
Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
10:32

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Published on: February 1, 2016

34.0K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Additive Manufacturing

Background:

  • 3D printing of soft conductive materials like hydrogels/ionogels is promising for bioelectronics and tactile devices.
  • Conventional 3D-printed iono-conductive materials face challenges with liquid evaporation and leakage, limiting electrical-mechanical property stability.
  • Existing liquid-free photocurable iono-conductors have cumbersome processes and poor printing quality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel fast-photocurable, solid-state conductive ionoelastomer (SCIE) for high-resolution 3D printing.
  • To overcome the limitations of conventional ion-conducting materials in terms of stability and printing quality.
  • To demonstrate the potential of SCIE in creating advanced 3D flexible tactile sensors.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a novel fast-photocurable, solid-state conductive ionoelastomer (SCIE).
  • High-resolution 3D printing of arbitrary architectures using the developed SCIE.
  • Characterization of the printed materials' mechanical properties (Young's modulus, fracture strain), electrical conductivity across temperatures, and fatigue resistance.
  • Fabrication and testing of 3D flexible tactile sensors (piezoresistive and capacitive) using the printed SCIE building blocks.

Main Results:

  • Achieved high-resolution 3D printing with features as small as 50 µm overhanging lattices.
  • Demonstrated excellent mechanical properties: Young's modulus up to 6.2 MPa and fracture strain of 292%.
  • Exhibited stable conductivity over a wide temperature range (-30 to 80 °C) and high durability (10,000 cycles).
  • Successfully programmed SCIE into 3D tactile sensors with significantly higher sensitivity than bulk counterparts.

Conclusions:

  • The developed SCIE material enables high-resolution, stable, and durable 3D printing of conductive architectures.
  • SCIE offers superior electrical-mechanical property stability compared to traditional hydrogel/ionogel-based materials.
  • The printed SCIE building blocks are suitable for fabricating highly sensitive and robust 3D flexible tactile sensors for diverse applications.