Heterogeneous zebra-patterned ultra-sensitive flexible sensor for human motion detection and game control

Flexible sensors are gaining increasing attention as a promising technology in diverse fields, including wearable electronics, soft robotics, and electronic skin. However, most flexible pressure sensors face significant challenges, such as limited detection capabilities, low sensitivity, and restricted application scopes. Herein, the developed flexible sensor via the simultaneous regulation of contact topography and localized conductivities was exploited inspired by scorpions and zebras. The sequential contact of conductive networks with gradient crack structures paired with conductivity enhanced current saturation, resulting in a flexible sensor with outstanding sensitivity, achieving a gauge factor of 8113.7. Furthermore, the heterogeneous structure enables distinct sensing responses across different regions in a single sensor, allowing it to simultaneously function as multiple signal input terminals, instead of traditional sensing array. Leveraging this characteristic, a single sensor was successfully applied as a game joystick in the snake game, enabling simultaneous control of the snake's four motor directions. In addition, the sensor was also employed to detect various human movements, such as gait and sitting posture. This work presents a cost-effective approach for developing flexible sensor devices with ultra-high sensitivity and versatile applications, as well as ideas for the dynamic monitoring of human motor behavior and human-machine interaction, demonstrating great potential in the field of artificial intelligence applications.