An intelligent tactile imaging-recognition sensor system enabled a methoxynitrobenzene-salicylaldehyde fluorescent material.

Journal: Materials horizons
Published Date: Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

Tactile sensors utilizing functional materials decode surface textures for object recognition. Herein, we engineer a donor-acceptor fluorescent material, MNIMP, that synergizes aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) mechanisms. Contact-induced nanoflake assembly on the MNIMP film triggers fluorescence amplification mediated by the combined AIE and TICT effects, through which the surface morphology of textured objects can be accurately visualized as fluorescent patterns. MNIMP maps micro-textures of materials such as rubber, fabrics, and elastic polymers under tactile pressure with kPa-level sensitivity, seamlessly integrating visual and tactile perceptions. These fluorescent signatures can be recognized using a deep-learning model with >98% accuracy. Hardware integration with the embedded algorithm model creates an intelligent tactile sensor system performing concurrent contact imaging, data analysis, and classification. This intelligent platform demonstrates micron-scale resolution and cost-effective manufacturability while maintaining high signal fidelity across diverse target objects.

Authors

  • Zihan Liu
    Dept. of Construction Management, School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China. Electronic address: liuzihan1996@hust.edu.cn.
  • Xinyi Zhao
  • Yuai Duan
    Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China.
  • Yaping Li
    Department of Dermatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha, Hunan, China.
  • Zhijia Wang
    Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China. hanty@cnu.edu.cn.
  • Zixuan Wang
    CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
  • Jiarong Zhang
    Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China. hanty@cnu.edu.cn.
  • Jing Yuan
    School of Acu-Mox and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
  • Hua Geng
    Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.
  • Tianyu Han
    Physics of Molecular Imaging Systems, Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. tianyu.han@pmi.rwth-aachen.de.

Keywords

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