A bioinspired self-powered optical tactile sensing system with ultrahigh sensitivity and ultralow detection limit

High-sensitivity tactile perception is vital for precise robotic operations in human-machine interactions (HMI). Currently, state-of-the-art tactile perception relies on electrical sensors which demand complex circuits and decoding components, leading to increased energy consumption and susceptibility to electromagnetic interference. Hence, the utilization of human-perceptible signals, such as visible light, as the transmission medium is necessary. Inspired by the mechano-electro-optical transduction mechanism in dinoflagellate bioluminescence, here we propose a self-powered optical tactile sensing system (SOTS) for converting the electrical signal of pressure sensing into visible luminescent intensity, thereby enabling the wireless transmission and visualization of tactile information. The proposed SOTS features an ultrahigh sensitivity (22.4 kPa^-1) and an ultralow detection limit (10 Pa) in optical tactile sensing with the ultra-wide dynamic range across 5 orders of magnitude (0.01-100 kPa), opening promising avenues for ultrasensitive feedback and intuitive understanding of haptic perception in future HMI.