Bioinspired Intelligent Adhesive Architecture with Soft Polymeric Electric Actuators for Robotics and Tactile Interfaces

Organisms often use subtle surface-transmitted vibrations to manipulate objects or communicate critical signals for survival. Inspired by this phenomenon, we present a multipixelated electroactive-actuating adhesive patch coupled with small, dense hairs possessing concave cavities. The ensuing lightweight, spatially-selective, switchable-adhesive device is demonstrated to effectively manipulate multiple objects simultaneously, thus overcoming the limitations of existing monotonous transportation devices. Complex outward texture of an object was recognized by the stretchable skin-conforming haptic interface with high breathability and repeatable attachment capability. This skin-adaptive haptic device can amplify the tiny vibrotactile feedback from the diverse surface textures of virtual creatures due to its possession of bioinspired architectures at the human–machine interface, wherein the device is integrated with machine learning-based comprehension for reproducible expression. Therefore, this technology offers promise in virtual reality and augmented reality applications.