Bioinspired Functional Design for Wearable Environmental Sensors

Biological mechanisms observed across diverse species-such as adhesion, color change, antifouling, and flexible protection-are functionally classified to inform a principle-based conceptual framework for the design of wearable environmental sensors. Existing wearable sensors are constrained by poor skin conformity, reliance on chemical adhesives, performance degradation in wet environments, dependency on external power, and low durability. In response, biological case studies are systematically organized into four functional categories-reversible and wet adhesion, power-free coloration, antifouling and antibacterial surface mechanisms, and compliant protective architectures-and hierarchically mapped to corresponding engineering layers. Rather than reporting experimental results, this framework outlines how biological mechanisms was translated into structured design principles that collectively address the core requirements of wearable sensors: skin compatibility, energy efficiency, fouling resistance, and durability under mechanical deformation. Unlike previous biomimetic surveys that primarily catalog natural phenomena, this work establishes a structured, function-oriented framework that explicitly connects biological strategies to multilayer sensor architectures aligned with Nature-based Solutions and the Global Biodiversity Framework. Ultimately, it clarifies a unique conceptual pathway for sustainable, biodiversity-informed engineering design.