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Materials and Devices for Flexible Electronics in Sensor Applications

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2025) | Viewed by 2896

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: flexible sensors; electronic skins; curved interfaces; health monitoring; wearable devices; tactile sensing; advanced materials; structural designs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Flexible sensors have attracted increasing attention in the last decade. Compared to conventional rigid sensors, flexible electronics can easily conform to complex curved interfaces due to their exceptional flexibility, significantly expanding their range of applications. They have already demonstrated great potential in various fields, including health monitoring, wearable devices, and tactile sensing. However, despite these significant developments, integrating different advantageous properties—such as maintaining great flexibility while ensuring strength—remains challenging. Developing multifunctional, all-weather sensors that avoid signal interference also presents difficulties.

To improve sensitivity and performance, new materials such as ionogels have been applied to fabricate flexible sensors. Additionally, incorporating micro-structured designs has proven to be a feasible way to enhance their capabilities. Herein, we invite authors to contribute their work involving new developments in the materials, design, and fabrication processes for flexible sensors.

  • Novel materials for flexible sensors with enhanced performance characteristics.
  • Micro- and nano-structuring techniques for improved sensor sensitivity and functionality.
  • Multifunctional flexible sensors capable of operating in various environmental conditions.
  • Innovative fabrication methods that ensure scalability and cost-effectiveness.
  • Case studies and applications showcasing the integration of flexible sensors in real-world scenarios.

Dr. Huanhuan Feng
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • flexible sensors
  • electronic skins
  • curved interfaces
  • health monitoring
  • wearable devices
  • tactile sensing
  • advanced materials
  • structural designs

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 5749 KiB  
Article
Additively Manufactured Flexible EGaIn Sensor for Dynamic Detection and Sensing on Ultra-Curved Surfaces
by Jiangnan Yan, Jianing Ding, Yang Cao, Hongyu Yi, Limeng Zhan, Yifan Gao, Kongyu Ge, Hongjun Ji, Mingyu Li and Huanhuan Feng
Sensors 2025, 25(1), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25010037 - 25 Dec 2024
Viewed by 721
Abstract
Electronic skin is widely employed in multiple applications such as health monitoring, robot tactile perception, and bionic prosthetics. In this study, we fabricated millimeter-scale electronic skin featuring compact sensing units using the Boston Micro Fabrication S130 (a high-precision additive manufacturing device) and the [...] Read more.
Electronic skin is widely employed in multiple applications such as health monitoring, robot tactile perception, and bionic prosthetics. In this study, we fabricated millimeter-scale electronic skin featuring compact sensing units using the Boston Micro Fabrication S130 (a high-precision additive manufacturing device) and the template removal method. We used a gallium-based liquid metal and achieved an inner channel diameter of 0.1 mm. The size of the sensing unit was 3 × 3 mm2. This unit exhibited a wide linear sensing range (10–22,000 Pa) and high-pressure resolution (10 Pa) even on an ultra-curved surface (radius of curvature was 6 mm). Sliding was successfully detected at speeds of 8–54 mm/s. An artificial nose with nine sensing units was fabricated, and it exhibited excellent multitouch and sliding trajectory recognition capabilities. This confirmed that the electronic skin functioned normally, even on an ultra-curved surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials and Devices for Flexible Electronics in Sensor Applications)
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Review

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30 pages, 9276 KiB  
Review
Recent Progress in Flexible Piezoelectric Tactile Sensors: Materials, Structures, Fabrication, and Application
by Jingyao Tang, Yiheng Li, Yirong Yu, Qing Hu, Wenya Du and Dabin Lin
Sensors 2025, 25(3), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25030964 - 5 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1810
Abstract
Flexible tactile sensors are widely used in aerospace, medical and health monitoring, electronic skin, human–computer interaction, and other fields due to their unique advantages, thus becoming a research hotspot. The goal is to develop a flexible tactile sensor characterized by outstanding sensitivity, extensive [...] Read more.
Flexible tactile sensors are widely used in aerospace, medical and health monitoring, electronic skin, human–computer interaction, and other fields due to their unique advantages, thus becoming a research hotspot. The goal is to develop a flexible tactile sensor characterized by outstanding sensitivity, extensive detection range and linearity, elevated spatial resolution, and commendable adaptability. Among several strategies like capacitive, piezoresistive, and triboelectric tactile sensors, etc., we focus on piezoelectric tactile sensors because of their self-powered nature, high sensitivity, and quick response time. These sensors can respond to a wide range of dynamic mechanical stimuli and turn them into measurable electrical signals. This makes it possible to accurately detect objects, including their shapes and textures, and for them to sense touch in real time. This work encapsulates current advancements in flexible piezoelectric tactile sensors, focusing on enhanced material properties, optimized structural design, improved fabrication techniques, and broadened application domains. We outline the challenges facing piezoelectric tactile sensors to provide inspiration and guidance for their future development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials and Devices for Flexible Electronics in Sensor Applications)
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