Ionic Skin

Research paper.

Title:  Ionic Skin

Authors: J.-Y. Sun, C. Keplinger, G.M. Whitesides, Z. Suo

Electronic skins (i.e., stretchable, large-area sheets of distributed sensors) are under intense development as wearable or implantable electronics for entertainment and healthcare.  Whereas the electronic skins report signals using electrons, natural skins report signals using ions. Here we use ionic conductors to create a new type of sensory sheet, which we call “ionic skin”.  Such sensory sheets are highly stretchable, transparent, and biocompatible.  They readily monitor large deformation, such as the bending of a finger. They detect stimuli with wide dynamic range, such as strains from 1% to 500%.  They measure pressure as low as 1 kPa, with small drift over many cycles. The high transparency allows the sensory sheets to transmit electrical signals without impeding optical signals. This property will enable optical stimulation, as well as continuous inspection of the surfaces covered by the sensory sheets.  

Our paper was published online in Advanced Materials in Oct. 2014.

http://www.seas.harvard.edu/suo/papers2/332.pdf