Electronic Skins for Healthcare Monitoring and Smart Prostheses

Abstract

The human skin is a unique organ that embeds multiple functions that no artificial systems can currently replicate. Advances in materials science and engineering are driving the design of electronic skins—large-area sensor arrays that mimic some sensory modalities and have the soft, elastic form of natural skin. Here, we focus on electronic skins designed to be worn on the human body for healthcare monitoring or prosthetic applications. The primary sensing modalities are mechanical, thermal, and electrophysiological. We review key materials and associated designs needed to manufacture electronic devices that can conform to the human body and move along with it. Electronic skins offer exciting opportunities for human–machine interfaces.