Silk Piezoelectric Tactile Sensors: The Way Forward to Developing Intelligent Implantable Sensors

摘要

The development of artificial tactile perception systems is of paramount interest in prosthetic and robotic applications. The key goal here is to develop systems with human-like capabilities, with the help of appropriate materials and signal-converting systems. When it comes to developing prosthetic wearable and implantable devices, the biggest challenge is to engineer a suitable bio-compatible material that offers high sensitivity. The sensors developed with such materials should respond to pressure and vibration selectively and generate sensory neuron-like output signal patterns. Here, we report a tactile sensor realized using the piezoelectric property of Bombyx mori silk. Silk thin film with moderate piezoelectric properties, derived from regenerated silk fibroin is used to realize the tactile sensor. The response of the sensor to finger taps of different magnitudes was significantly distinct. The as developed tactile sensor was able to detect hand wrist movements with high degree of precision.