In collaboration with Professor Jaehyuk Lim at Jeonbuk National University, Professor Youngu Lee at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST) has successfully developed an ultra-sensitive pressure sensor for electronic skin modeled after the human brain’s nervous system. This innovative technology has vast applications in future devices, including AI-based digital healthcare devices, as well as transparent displays and wearable devices, due to its transparency and physical flexibility. Pressure sensors are crucial for detecting slight changes or forces and converting them into signals, commonly used in smartphones, healthcare devices, and sensory systems for robots, among others.
The pressure sensor-based electronic skin mimics the human skin’s ability to detect slight pressure, making it highly versatile for various applications, including wearable devices, medical monitoring devices, and sensory systems for robots. To increase the practicality of electronic skin, achieving greater sensitivity, transparency, and flexibility is crucial. The research team led by Professor Lee developed a pressure sensor that replicates the way the human brain signals, utilizing a network of nanoparticles modeled after the complex structure of neurons and glial cells working together to transmit signals quickly and efficiently. This innovative approach enhances the sensor’s sensitivity to slight pressures.
The pressure sensor developed in this study is not only highly sensitive but also highly transparent and flexible, capable of detecting subtle changes such as heart rate, finger movements, and water droplets’ pressure. It maintains stability even after 10,000 repeated uses and performs consistently in hot and humid environments. Professor Lee at DGIST emphasized the importance of this study in developing a tactile sensor for next-generation electronic skin with transparency and flexibility, paving the way for further research into simulating human skin’s tactile sensors and advancing technology for transparent displays.
The interdisciplinary research conducted by PhD student Jiwoo Koo, Dr. Jongyoon Kim, Dr. Myungseok Ko, Professor Youngu Lee, and Professor Jaehyuk Lim was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Mid-Career Research Project and the Sustainable Solar Energy Use Engineering Research Center Project. The results of this study were published in the October 2024 issue of the Chemical Engineering Journal, an international journal in the field of chemical engineering. Moving forward, research on the basic mechanism underlying the sensor’s operation will continue to drive the development of artificial tactile sensors simulating human skin and the technological advancement of transparent displays for commercialization.