A Bioinspired Wireless Epidermal Photoreceptor for Artificial Skin Vision

摘要

Skin vision can be found in many invertebrates, such as earthworms, jellyfish, and octopuses using light-sensitive rod cells in the skin. It enables optical perception and colorimetric responses, providing intriguing capabilities that human skin does not have. A bioinspired wireless, battery-free, artificial skin vision (ASV) device consisting of flexible optical and optoelectronic components which essentially mimic the hierarchical structures and biological functions of rod cells in a skin-like configuration for light sensing and signal processing is developed. The ASV device can collect sweat with integrated microfluidic channels and allow real-time measurement of on-skin fluids by monitoring the intrinsic optical properties via a customizable microprism light filter. The device also shows sensitive colorimetric responses to input stimulus at chosen detection wavelengths and demonstrates a capacity for in situ quantitative analysis of biomarkers in sweat through alternative colorimetric light filters. Multiple ASVs together create a body area network with a collection of wireless sensors that can work in parallel to acquire multidimensional human physiological signals and predict fitness variations using a specified deep learning neural network. The system has potential applications in biomimetic engineering, physiological monitoring, and intelligent personalized diagnostics.