Chengyi Xu

The rapid progress of artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) has driven growing demand for high-performance, skin-compatible vibration sensors capable of capturing subtle physiological and environmental signals. Low-dimensional materials offer unique advantages in sensitivity and flexibility, yet challenges remain in achieving high strain responsiveness, mechanical robustness, and large-area uniformity. Here, we report an ultrasensitive, low-profile, and stretchable vibration sensor based on large-area single-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS ₂ ) ribbon networks (SLRNs) grown via a vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. Embedding SLRNs within a thermoplastic elastomer [styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS)] yields record-high sensitivity among MoS ₂ -based sensors, with gauge factors up to 5300 at 500 hertz), enabling deconvolution of complex stimuli. This work establishes a path toward ultrathin, ultrasensitive wearable sensors for health care and robotic applications.

Cephalopods ( e.g. , octopus, squid, and cuttlefish) are a class of soft-bodied marine invertebrates renowned for their ability to dynamically alter their color and appearance for camouflage in complex environments.

Now you see it, now you don't: Thermal vision cameras detect differences in temperature by sensing infrared wavelengths. If a coating could be developed that showed dynamic tuning of the effective temperature, it might be possible to hide objects from infrared sensing. Xu et al. started with a basic Bragg reflector made up of multiple layers of alternating materials with varying refractive index. The authors designed structures that were wavy to begin with so that they could be flattened out by electrical activation. This changed the infrared reflectivity and, thus, the effective temperature of the object observed in its infrared profile. Science , this issue p. 1495