Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
10:03
Conformable Wearable Electrodes: From Fabrication to Electrophysiological Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2022
Triboelectric Wearable Sensors for Human-Centric Smart Electronics: From Self-Powered Sensing to Artificial
Yoonsang Ra1,2, Sumin Cho1,3, Xinge Guo4,5
1Department of Mechanical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 17104, Republic of Korea.
Nano-Micro Letters
|June 16, 2026
Summary
Triboelectric wearable sensors offer self-powered human-machine interfaces by converting mechanical motion into electrical signals. This review covers their principles, applications in healthcare and virtual reality, and future directions for intelligent electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electronics Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Intelligent electronics are increasingly integrated into daily life, necessitating advanced human-machine interfaces (HMIs).
- Wearable and self-powered sensing platforms are crucial for translating human signals into adaptive machine functions.
- Triboelectric wearable sensors are highly promising due to their direct transduction of mechanical stimuli and design flexibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review triboelectric wearable sensors from fundamental principles to diverse applications.
- To explore their role in enabling human-centric smart electronics.
- To outline challenges and future directions in the field.
Main Methods:
- Review of working principles, material selection, device architectures, and fabrication strategies for triboelectric wearable sensors.
- Discussion of artificial intelligence-assisted signal processing, artificial synapses, and neuromorphic computing.
- Analysis of application spaces where these sensors serve as primary human-input interfaces.
Main Results:
- Triboelectric sensors offer a versatile platform for self-powered, body-interfaced sensing.
- Integration with AI and neuromorphic computing bridges sensing to intelligent HMI.
- Successful applications demonstrated in healthcare, gesture recognition, and virtual interaction.
Conclusions:
- Triboelectric wearable sensors are key enablers for next-generation human-centric smart electronics.
- Further research is needed to address remaining challenges and unlock full potential.
- These sensors facilitate seamless interaction between humans and intelligent systems.