Artificial Flexible Closed-Loop Tactile Systems

Tactility allows humans to quickly perceive external stimuli and respond accordingly. It plays a crucial role in human-environment interaction. Mimicking the human closed-loop tactile system with artificial electronic devices has profound implications for prosthetics and intelligent robots. Highly flexible and wearable electronic devices emerge as promising platforms for building artificial tactile systems. Among them, hydrogel electronic skins and electronic textiles make significant advancements owing to their excellent tissue compatibility, mechanical properties, conductivity, and multifunctionality. Nowadays, they can function as sensors to monitor external stimuli or as actuators to mimic and trigger muscle movement. In addition, advanced signal analysis units are integrated to enable the tactile system to interpret the collected signals. This review explores the key advancements in the intrinsic properties of hydrogels and functional fibers and evaluates the feasibility of hydrogel electronic skins and electronic textiles for developing artificial flexible closed-loop tactile systems. The continuous development of artificial flexible closed-loop tactile systems can not only facilitate the in-depth integration of artificial intelligence and the human sensory system but also exert a profound and positive influence on numerous fields such as medicine, scientific research, and industrial manufacturing.