Bionic Tactile-Gustatory Receptor for Object Identification Based on All-Polymer Electrochemical Transistor

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Sensory Systems

Background:

• Human sensory perception relies on receptors, driving efforts in bionic object identification.
• Existing bionic sensors often lack multi-sensory emulation and solid-state limitations hinder biological compatibility.
• Developing artificial receptors compatible with biological environments is crucial for advanced prosthetics and diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel iontronic tactile-gustatory receptor.
• To demonstrate its capability for multi-sensory emulation and object recognition.
• To fabricate high-density, flexible sensor arrays for practical applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an all-polymer electrochemical transistor (AECT) for sensor design.
• Achieved biocompatibility with a low operating voltage (0.1 V).
• Fabricated flexible AECT arrays with high transistor density (104,167 transistors cm⁻²) and yield (97%).

Main Results:

• The AECT receptor accurately recognized various objects, mimicking human tactile and gustatory senses.
• The sensor operated at significantly lower voltages (0.1 V) compared to existing devices.
• High-density, flexible AECT arrays were successfully fabricated, alongside an integrated electrocardiogram recording network.

Conclusions:

• The presented iontronic receptor offers accurate, multi-modal sensory emulation without complex circuitry.
• The developed flexible AECT arrays and integrated network show promise for advanced bionic applications.
• This work represents a significant advancement in the field of state-of-the-art bionic sensors.