Bioinspired Electronics for Artificial Sensory Systems

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 31; no. 34; pp. e1803637 - n/a
• Main Authors: Jung, Yei Hwan, Park, Byeonghak, Kim, Jong Uk, Kim, Tae‐il
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-08-2019
• Subjects: Animals; bioinspired electronics; Biomimetic Materials; biomimicry; Brain; Electric pulses; Electronic components; Electronic Nose; Electronics; Electronics - instrumentation; Equipment and Supplies; Hearing; Humanoid; humanoid robots; Humans; Prostheses; prosthesis; Receptors; Selectivity; Sensation - physiology; Sense organs; Senses; Sensors; Sensory Receptor Cells - physiology; sensory systems; Smell; Taste; Touch; Vision, Ocular; bioinspired electronics; sensors; receptors; prosthesis; sensory systems; humanoid robots; biomimicry
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201803637

Humans have a myriad of sensory receptors in different sense organs that form the five traditionally recognized senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. These receptors detect diverse stimuli originating from the world and turn them into brain‐interpretable electrical impulses for sensory cognitive processing, enabling us to communicate and socialize. Developments in biologically inspired electronics have led to the demonstration of a wide range of electronic sensors in all five traditional categories, with the potential to impact a broad spectrum of applications. Here, recent advances in bioinspired electronics that can function as potential artificial sensory systems, including prosthesis and humanoid robots are reviewed. The mechanisms and demonstrations in mimicking biological sensory systems are individually discussed and the remaining future challenges that must be solved for their versatile use are analyzed. Recent progress in bioinspired electronic sensors shows that the five traditional senses are successfully mimicked using novel electronic components and the performance regarding sensitivity, selectivity, and accuracy have improved to levels that outperform human sensory organs. Finally, neural interfacing techniques for connecting artificial sensors to the brain are discussed.
Unconventional electronics and sensors inspired by biological sensory systems have proved impeccable sensing performance and accuracy for diverse external stimuli. From systems inspired by human receptors to those inspired by nontraditional receptors, recent advances in bioinspired electronics for artificial sensory systems are reviewed. Together, these progressive efforts provide practical approaches for creating artificial organs, such as prosthesis and humanoid robots.