High-Sensitivity and Wide-Range Flexible Pressure Sensor Based on Gradient-Wrinkle Structures and AgNW-Coated PDMS

Abstract

Flexible pressure sensors have garnered significant attention due to their wide range of applications in human motion monitoring and smart wearable devices. However, the fabrication of pressure sensors that offer both high sensitivity and a wide detection range remains a challenging task. In this paper, we propose an AgNW-coated PDMS flexible piezoresistive sensor based on a gradient-wrinkle structure. By modifying the microstructure of PDMS, the sensor demonstrates varying sensitivities and pressure responses across different pressure ranges. The wrinkle microstructure contributes to high sensitivity (0.947 kPa−1) at low pressures, while the PDMS film with a gradient contact height ensures a continuous change in the contact area through the gradual activation of the contact wrinkles, resulting in a wide detection range (10–50 kPa). This paper also investigates the contact state of gradient-wrinkle films under different pressures to further elaborate on the sensor’s sensing mechanism. The sensor’s excellent performance in real-time response to touch behavior, joint motion, swallowing behavior recognition, and grasping behavior detection highlights its broad application prospects in human–computer interaction, human motion monitoring, and intelligent robotics.