A flexible, channel‐minimized and large‐scale touch position sensor combining contact electrification effect and screen‐printed stagger electrode patterns

Abstract The large‐scale touch position sensor as a key human–machine interface toolkit holds immense significance in smart city and home construction. However, prior alternatives suffer from high power consumption, material limitations, and implementation costs. Herein, a self‐powered and scalable touch position strategy that integrates contact electrification with a screen‐printing technique is proposed. Simply, high‐impedance electrodes with stagger patterns are screen‐printed onto various substrates before being covered with a dielectric layer. The locating mechanism originates from the touch‐generated triboelectric charge shunt effect in the electrodes. The screen‐printing parameters that affect the positional accuracy are discussed in detail. Leveraging this strategy, we realize a tailorable and large‐scale triboelectric touch position sensor (LTTPS) that offers flexibility, self‐powered capability, and a minimized signal channel, making it suitable for various practical scenarios. Demonstrations include an intelligent bookshelf mat with book management functionality, a rollable and foldable film‐like keyboard, and a 4 m 2 walk‐tracking carpet. The LTTPS in this work provides an appealing alternative for large‐scale touch positioning and enriches human–machine interaction. image