Capacitive in-sensor tactile computing

Abstract Real-time sensing and processing of tactile information are essential to enhance the capability of artificial electronic skins (e-skins), enabling unprecedented intelligent applications in tactile exploration and object manipulation. However, conventional tactile e-skin systems typically ex...

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Main Authors: Yan Chen, Jie Cao, Jie Qiu, Dongzi Yang, Mengyang Liu, Mengru Zhang, Chenyang Li, Zhongyuan Wu, Jie Yu, Xumeng Zhang, Xianzhe Chen, Zhangcheng Huang, Enming Song, Ming Wang, Qi Liu, Ming Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60703-7
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author Yan Chen
Jie Cao
Jie Qiu
Dongzi Yang
Mengyang Liu
Mengru Zhang
Chenyang Li
Zhongyuan Wu
Jie Yu
Xumeng Zhang
Xianzhe Chen
Zhangcheng Huang
Enming Song
Ming Wang
Qi Liu
Ming Liu
author_facet Yan Chen
Jie Cao
Jie Qiu
Dongzi Yang
Mengyang Liu
Mengru Zhang
Chenyang Li
Zhongyuan Wu
Jie Yu
Xumeng Zhang
Xianzhe Chen
Zhangcheng Huang
Enming Song
Ming Wang
Qi Liu
Ming Liu
author_sort Yan Chen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Real-time sensing and processing of tactile information are essential to enhance the capability of artificial electronic skins (e-skins), enabling unprecedented intelligent applications in tactile exploration and object manipulation. However, conventional tactile e-skin systems typically execute redundant data transfer and conversion for decision making due to their physical separation between sensors and processing units, leading to high transmission latency and power consumption. Here, we report an in-sensor tactile computing system based on a flexible capacitive pressure sensor array. This system utilizes multiple connected sensor networks to execute in-situ analog multiplication and accumulation operations, achieving both tactile sensing and computing functionalities. We experimentally implemented the in-sensor tactile computing system for low-level tactile sensory processing tasks including noise reduction and edge detection. The consumed power for single sensing-computing operation is over 22 times lower than that of a conventional mixed electronic system. These results demonstrate that our capacitive in-sensor computing system paves a promising way for power-constrained applications such as robotics and human-machine interfaces.
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institution DOAJ
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-45b4e44d5b6d4816bf53716784c7d85e2025-08-20T03:03:25ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111010.1038/s41467-025-60703-7Capacitive in-sensor tactile computingYan Chen0Jie Cao1Jie Qiu2Dongzi Yang3Mengyang Liu4Mengru Zhang5Chenyang Li6Zhongyuan Wu7Jie Yu8Xumeng Zhang9Xianzhe Chen10Zhangcheng Huang11Enming Song12Ming Wang13Qi Liu14Ming Liu15State Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityShanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Intelligent Optoelectronics and Perception, Institute of Optoelectronics, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityShanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Intelligent Optoelectronics and Perception, Institute of Optoelectronics, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan UniversityAbstract Real-time sensing and processing of tactile information are essential to enhance the capability of artificial electronic skins (e-skins), enabling unprecedented intelligent applications in tactile exploration and object manipulation. However, conventional tactile e-skin systems typically execute redundant data transfer and conversion for decision making due to their physical separation between sensors and processing units, leading to high transmission latency and power consumption. Here, we report an in-sensor tactile computing system based on a flexible capacitive pressure sensor array. This system utilizes multiple connected sensor networks to execute in-situ analog multiplication and accumulation operations, achieving both tactile sensing and computing functionalities. We experimentally implemented the in-sensor tactile computing system for low-level tactile sensory processing tasks including noise reduction and edge detection. The consumed power for single sensing-computing operation is over 22 times lower than that of a conventional mixed electronic system. These results demonstrate that our capacitive in-sensor computing system paves a promising way for power-constrained applications such as robotics and human-machine interfaces.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60703-7
spellingShingle Yan Chen
Jie Cao
Jie Qiu
Dongzi Yang
Mengyang Liu
Mengru Zhang
Chenyang Li
Zhongyuan Wu
Jie Yu
Xumeng Zhang
Xianzhe Chen
Zhangcheng Huang
Enming Song
Ming Wang
Qi Liu
Ming Liu
Capacitive in-sensor tactile computing
Nature Communications
title Capacitive in-sensor tactile computing
title_full Capacitive in-sensor tactile computing
title_fullStr Capacitive in-sensor tactile computing
title_full_unstemmed Capacitive in-sensor tactile computing
title_short Capacitive in-sensor tactile computing
title_sort capacitive in sensor tactile computing
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60703-7
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