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Beyond Physical Contact: Non-Contact Flexible Sensors With Intelligent Perception
Qinghua Wei1,2, Hanxu Liu1,2, Yalong An1,2
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, P.R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|July 22, 2026
Summary
Non-contact flexible sensors offer advanced spatial sensing, overcoming limitations of traditional sensors. This review explores their principles, performance enhancements, and applications in health, robotics, and human-machine interaction.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Sensor Technology
- Robotics
Background:
- Conventional contact-based sensors face limitations like wear, instability, and discomfort.
- Non-contact flexible sensors provide a solution by enabling spatial physical field perception without direct contact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the research progress of non-contact flexible sensors.
- To analyze diverse working principles, performance metrics, and applications.
- To discuss challenges and future trends in this field.
Main Methods:
- Elaboration of diverse working principles: capacitive coupling, Hall effect, magnetoresistance, thermoelectric effect, infrared radiation, ultrasound, and photoelectric sensing.
- Comparative analysis of sensor sensitivity, response speed, and applicable scenarios.
- Summary of strategies for enhancing sensing performance, including materials and structural innovations.
Main Results:
- Non-contact flexible sensors demonstrate significant potential across various applications.
- Effective strategies for performance enhancement involve advanced materials, bioinspired microstructures, and 3D integration.
- Key applications include medical health monitoring, electronic skin, robotic perception, and human-machine interaction.
Conclusions:
- Non-contact flexible sensors represent a paradigm shift towards spatial sensing.
- They offer a foundation for developing smarter, more natural, and sustainable sensing systems.
- Further research is needed to address current challenges and unlock future potential.
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The receptor level:
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