Abstract
Skin-like soft sensors are a key technology for humanoid robots and wearables. Achieving both robust interfaces and promoted sensing performances in soft sensors may enable their applications in extreme mechanical conditions of high shear and large strain. However, introducing tough adhesion to the interfaces in a sensor often compromises its sensing properties. Here, we use micropillars of hyperbranched polyurethane with a diameter smaller than its length of flaw sensitivity serving as an adhesion layer for exceptional mechanical stability, and also as an adaptive spacer for enhanced sensing properties. We show a strong size effect of the structures to toughen the interface, with ultrahigh interfacial toughness up to 5095 J m-2 at a pillar diameter of 50 μm, which is one order of magnitude higher than the state-of-the-arts results. As a spacer, the micropillars provide enhanced sensitivity, adaptive limit of detection, rapid response to the acoustic range by decreasing the stiffness via elastic buckling. The sensors are ideal for the manipulation of heavy objects in humanoid robots and other applications.
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BibTeX (Download)
@online{Xia2025MicrostructureEnabled,
title = {Microstructure-Enabled Tough Adhesion and Enhanced Sensing},
author = {Xi Xia and Xingxing Chen and Junli Shi and Zhibin Li and Bingfa Jiang and Kaixi Huang and Mengxue Guo and Zeyun Yang and Zelong Liao and Chaoyang Song and Chuanfei Guo},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-13},
abstract = {Skin-like soft sensors are a key technology for humanoid robots and wearables. Achieving both robust interfaces and promoted sensing performances in soft sensors may enable their applications in extreme mechanical conditions of high shear and large strain. However, introducing tough adhesion to the interfaces in a sensor often compromises its sensing properties. Here, we use micropillars of hyperbranched polyurethane with a diameter smaller than its length of flaw sensitivity serving as an adhesion layer for exceptional mechanical stability, and also as an adaptive spacer for enhanced sensing properties. We show a strong size effect of the structures to toughen the interface, with ultrahigh interfacial toughness up to 5095 J m-2 at a pillar diameter of 50 μm, which is one order of magnitude higher than the state-of-the-arts results. As a spacer, the micropillars provide enhanced sensitivity, adaptive limit of detection, rapid response to the acoustic range by decreasing the stiffness via elastic buckling. The sensors are ideal for the manipulation of heavy objects in humanoid robots and other applications. },
note = {Submitted to Matter},
keywords = {Authorship - Co-Author, Status - Under Review},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {online}
}
