Nature Inspired Sensors for Liquid Environments

Liquid environments present significant challenges to accurate pressure sensing. Often, flexible materials in solid state pressure sensors grapple with optimization for sensitivity, hysteresis and linearity. In my talk, I will share some strategies to solve this tri-factor optimization problem for pressure sensing in liquid environments. Our proposed approach was inspired by organic hydrophobic surfaces in natural organisms such as the lotus plant (<i>Nelumbo nucifera</i>) and pitcher plants (<i>Nepenthes L.</i>). By utilizing a multi-species approach, we enabled the highest linearity pressure sensors to date while simultaneously achieving high sensitivity and low hysteresis.