Wearable Electro-Thermal Haptic Stimulator Driven by a Self-Powered Tactile Sensor for Realistic Stimulus Replication

Reproducing realistic tactile sensations is critical for intuitive and immersive human-machine interaction in bio-mechatronic systems. Here, we present a stimulus-replicating system that translates real-world tactile events into biomimetic sensations. The system couples a self-powered, multimodal tactile sensor-detecting dynamic/static pressure and temperature via hybrid triboelectric and ionic mechanisms-with a wearable stimulator. The stimulator features a co-located Peltier-based thermotactile module and a concentric poly(2,3-diydrothieno-1,4-dioxin)-poly(styrenesulfonate)/polyurethane electrotactile electrode, optimized through Multiphysics simulations for spatially focused receptor activation. This integrated architecture, stabilized by aluminum nitride/polydimethylsiloxane encapsulation and acrylate-based pressure-sensitive adhesion, faithfully reproduces sensed mechano-thermal signatures on the user's skin. Psychophysical tests further show high accuracy in discriminating pressure, temperature, and softness: 81.7% accuracy in discriminating pressure and softness via electrotactile stimulation and 72% accuracy in discriminating temperature via thermotactile stimulation. By moving beyond predefined haptics, our framework establishes a new approach to biomimetic sensation delivery. This technology holds significant promise for applications requiring high-fidelity tactile replication, including smart prosthetics and tele-haptics.