Self-powered electro-tactile system for virtual tactile experiences

Yuxiang Shi; Fan Wang; Jingwen Tian; Shuyao Li; Engang Fu; Jinhui Nie; Rui Lei; Yafei Ding; Xiangyu Chen; Zhong Lin Wang

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abe2943

Self-powered electro-tactile system for virtual tactile experiences

Sci Adv. 2021 Feb 3;7(6):eabe2943. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe2943. Print 2021 Feb.

Authors

Yuxiang Shi^{1

2}, Fan Wang^{1

2}, Jingwen Tian^{1

2}, Shuyao Li^{1

2}, Engang Fu³, Jinhui Nie^{1

2}, Rui Lei¹, Yafei Ding^{1

2}, Xiangyu Chen^{4

2}, Zhong Lin Wang^{4

2

5}

Affiliations

¹ CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China.
² School of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Department of Technical Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
⁴ CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China. chenxiangyu@binn.cas.cn zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu.
⁵ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245, USA.

Abstract

Tactile sensation plays important roles in virtual reality and augmented reality systems. Here, a self-powered, painless, and highly sensitive electro-tactile (ET) system for achieving virtual tactile experiences is proposed on the basis of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and ET interface formed of ball-shaped electrode array. Electrostatic discharge triggered by TENG can induce notable ET stimulation, while controlled distance between the ET electrodes and human skin can regulate the induced discharge current. The ion bombardment technique has been used to enhance the electrification capability of triboelectric polymer. Accordingly, TENG with a contact area of 4 cm² is capable of triggering discharge, leading to a compact system. In this skin-integrated ET interface, touching position and motion trace on the TENG surface can be precisely reproduced on skin. This TENG-based ET system can work for many fields, including virtual tactile displays, Braille instruction, intelligent protective suits, or even nerve stimulation.

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