Toward Long-Term Reliable Human-Machine Interaction: A Flexible, Breathable, and Self-Powered Pressure Sensor System...

To overcome the continuous power problem for wearable applications, the self-powered sensors have attracted much attention recently. The traditional piezoelectric and triboelectric sensors can only generate signals under dynamic force. Herein, a zinc-iodine based potentiometric sensor is proposed for simultaneous and dynamic force detection. The proposed sensor is based on a multilayer architecture consisting of a breathable nonwoven fabric acting as the substrate, a Zn-plated laser-induced graphene (LIG) anode, a LIG cathode coated with an iodine-based composite ink, and a polyvinyl alcohol/zinc chloride hydrogel serving as the electrolyte. Such a design increases the open circuit voltage to 1.31 V, and provides stable sensing over an extended pressure range from 4 to 256 kPa. The fabricated sensor exhibits a rapid response time of 72 ms, excellent cycling stability (>98% retention after 5000 cycles), and superior wearing comfort. A gesture-recognition glove integrated with five sensing units was developed and allowed for the correct recognition of gestures and wirelessly controlling a fire detection smart car that is equipped with temperature/gas sensors and camera, enabling real-time remote monitoring in a complex environment. This work provides an innovative strategy for self-powered and highly comfortable interfaces in emergency scenarios.