A Sliding-Gated Tactile Interface for Smartphone Side-Key Interaction

Achieving precise sliding perception is crucial for enhancing human-machine interactions. Despite the extensive investigation of tactile sensors for static pressure detection, they still face challenges in detecting dynamic information such as sliding direction, speed, pressure and position in interactive touch scenarios. Herein, we propose a self-powered tactile interface that realizes motion-to-electricity generation by electrostatically regulating the carrier concentration and transport in the semiconductive layer with a top gate in sliding movement. This tactile sliding interface can distinguish various dynamic mechanical information by generating voltage signals related to the sliding direction, speed, pressure, and touch position without external bias voltage. By combining machine-learning algorithms, electrical signals of six representative sliding-touch interactions were accurately classified with a recognition accuracy of 98.33%. Furthermore, by integrating sensors into the smartphone's side button, customizable functions such as volume control, screen unlocking, and music switching were achieved. This work provides an innovative mechanism for sliding sensing in interactive electronic and intelligent control systems.