A highly stretchable and deformation-insensitive bionic electronic exteroceptive neural sensor for human-machine interfaces

Highlights: • A stretchable and multifunctional all-in-one electronic exteroceptive sensor is demonstrated by using carbon nanotubes@polyester thread. • The stretching insensitivity of the electronic exteroceptive sensor is first achieved, which enables device to operate efficiently and steadily even when being largely deformed (100% strain). • The stretchable bionic synaptic plasticity of the electronic exteroceptive sensor is first demonstrated, revealing the device's enormous potential for sophisticated human-machine interactions and neuroprosthetics. • Ultra-robustness to different mechanical stimulations, cuttability, and excellent durability against > 15,000 repetitive stimulations are the important stable characteristics of the electronic exteroceptive sensor • Geometrically hierarchical sensing, spatiotemporal resolution function, and rapid response (≤ 15 ms) endow the great potential of the electronic exteroceptive sensor for multifunctional touch interactions Bionic integrated sensing devices with numerous distributed electronic elements substantially expand the human's interactive control capabilities. Several difficulties need to be overcome, including intricate interconnections, complicated structures, and electromagnetic interference/compatibility in signal transmission. In addition, retention of device's functionalities under high deformation is desired, while it faces huge challenges to achieve stretchability and deformation insensitivity. Herein, a highly stretchable and deformation-insensitive bionic electronic exteroceptive neural sensor is first presented and fabricated from the functional composite of polyester thread coated with carbon nanotubes. The bionic electronic exteroceptive neural sensor features all-in-one bionic multifunctional characteristics, which effectively avoids the use of numerous distributed electronic elements. Importantly, it achieves high stretchability and characterizes unprecedented deformation-insensitive functional property. The properties enable the bionic electronic exteroceptive neural sensor to serve as a wearable device and function continuously without interference even when being greatly stretched (100% strain). Other prominent advantages of the bionic electronic exteroceptive neural sensor are excellent stability (> 15,000 cyclical tests), rapid response (≤ 15 ms), high robustness, geometrically hierarchical sensing, and personalized cuttability. The tremendous potential applications of the bionic electronic exteroceptive neural sensor are demonstrated in the fields of human-machine interactions, information security system, and Internet of things.