Ant-Inspired Ion Gel Sensor for Dual-Mode Detection of Force and Humidity via Magnetic Induction

Abstract

In the realm of intelligent sensing, the development of multifunctional, highly sensitive, wide-ranging, and durable flexible sensors remains a formidable challenge. This paper introduces a dual-mode ionic gel sensor, inspired by the sensory mechanisms of ants and developed through magnetically induced technology capable of simultaneously detecting environmental humidity and pressure. The humidity sensor is fabricated from a prestretched, buckled poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) ionic gel with microstructures, exhibiting rapid response and high durability. The voltage signal of the humidity sensor decreases linearly with increasing relative humidity (RH). The pressure sensor employs a capacitive structure, integrating magnetically induced fiber pilose structures with ionic gel, achieving a high sensitivity of 7.375 kPa^–1 and an excellent linear response over a broad pressure range from 0.5 Pa to 95 kPa. In the context of human motion monitoring, the sensor accurately captures physiological signals, such as pulse beats and joint movements while concurrently detecting skin humidity. Additionally, by leveraging deep learning algorithms, the sensor attains a remarkable 99.21% accuracy in object recognition within flexible intelligent sorting systems, underscoring its potential in smart logistics sorting applications. This study transcends the traditional limitations of capacitive pressure sensors regarding sensitivity and detection range, offering novel solutions for applications in motion monitoring and intelligent logistics sorting.