A Highly Sensitive and Self-Decoupled Flexible Capacitive Ionic 3-D Force Sensor for Human–Machine Interactions

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Abstract
In recent years, flexible 3-D force sensors have played a significant role in human–machine interaction due to their excellent compatibility with curved surfaces and multiaxis force detection capabilities. However, they generally suffer from inadequate sensitivity and severe signal coupling challenges. To address these limitations, this study introduces a flexible 3-D force sensor based on ionic capacitance, offering inherent signal decoupling and improved sensitivity. The sensor architecture utilizes polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel as the dielectric medium, harnessing the electric doublelayer (EDL) effect, while ionic liquid doping is employed to enhance dielectric performance. Additionally, a vertically orthogonal electrode configuration enables efficient decoupling of 3-D force components. The sensor demonstrates outstanding performance, including high-directional sensitivity (5.80 N-1 normal, 2.39 N-1 tangential), fast dynamic response (response/recovery: 120/140 ms), and excellent durability (over 1200 cycles). The sensor is also capable of detecting forces as low as 0.1 N, indicating high resolution and responsiveness to subtle pressure changes. Finally, the sensor was successfully applied to the field of human–machine interaction applications including remote handle control, robotic grasping, and humanoid motion monitoring. The sensor’s high sensitivity and self-decoupling mechanism enable accurate detection of multiaxial force components, making it ideal for human–machine interfaces.
Funding Information
  • Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems (GZKF-202431)
  • Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (2025GXNSFBA069235)

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