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State monitoring of the complex system needs a large number of sensors. Especially, studies in soft electronics aim to attain complete measurement of the body, mapping various stimulations like temperature, electrophysiological signals, and mechanical strains. However, conventional approach requires many sensor networks that cover the entire curvilinear surfaces of the target area. We introduce a new measuring system, a novel electronic skin integrated with a deep neural network that captures dynamic motions from a distance without creating a sensor network. The device detects minute deformations from the unique laser-induced crack structures. A single skin sensor decodes the complex motion of five finger motions in real-time, and the rapid situation learning (RSL) ensures stable operation regardless of its position on the wrist. The sensor is also capable of extracting gait motions from pelvis. This technology is expected to provide a turning point in health-monitoring, motion tracking, and soft robotics., Real-time monitoring human motions normally demands connecting a large number of sensors in a complicated network. To make it simpler, Kim et al. decode the motion of fingers using a flexible sensor attached on wrist that measures skin deformation with the help of a deep-learning architecture.

A thermal haptic device (THD) is used to implement temperature information in many virtual environments. The THD enables a user to feel the temperature as well as the thermal conductivity. Moreover, as temperature influences human emotion and preference, the THD enriches senses and experiences in a virtual environment. In this paper, we propose laser-assisted dual-function copper nanowire (CuNW) polyurethane acrylate (PUA) patterns for use as feedback controllable stretchable heaters as a 12-pixels THD, with highly enhanced mechanical and chemical durability. The CuNW–PUA pattern retains the stretchability from its serpentine mesh form, and the CuNW embedded in the PUA structure provides mechanical and chemical stability, facilitating a stable resistance. The CuNW–PUA pattern serves as a simultaneous heater and thermometer with accurate temperature control. Furthermore, the CuNW–PUA pattern is fabricated using a simple, fast, and elaborate laser process under ambient conditions. Finally, the CuNW–PUA pattern was used to realize heat transfer in various virtual environments in the form of 12-pixels on a nylon glove, showing potential for stretchable applications in next generation devices.

Transparency in electronics can provide extra functionality and esthetic impression. Transparency plays an important role in accurate soft robot control because one can directly observe target surface condition that is usually blocked by a robot's body. Nowadays, demand for soft actuators has been rapidly increasing because soft robots have attracted much attention recently. However, conventional soft actuators are usually nontransparent with simple isotropic bending, limited performance, and limited functionality. To overcome such limitations of current soft robots, we developed a novel soft shape morphing thin film actuator with new functionalities such as high transparency and unique directional responses to allow complex behavior by integrating a transparent metal nanowire heater. A figure of merit was developed to evaluate the performance and derive an optimum design configuration for the transparent actuator with enhanced performance. As a proof of concept, various transparent soft robots such as transparent gripper, Venus flytrap, and transparent walking robot were demonstrated. Such transparent directional shape morphing actuator is expected to open new application fields and functionalities overcoming limitations of current soft robots.

To mitigate the nonlinear distortion of a multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) radio over fiber (RoF) system, a frequency-separated model-based digital pre-distortion (DPD) technique is proposed and experimentally demonstrated herein. Frequency-separated model DPD, when used as a pre-equalizer, mitigates nonlinearity in a transmitter. The nonlinear characteristic of an RoF system depends on the frequency band. Therefore, the proposed equalizer separates the input by frequency band and mitigates nonlinearities. A least mean square algorithm is used to estimate the variables of the proposed equalizer. Using the proposed DPD technique, performance enhancement was verified experimentally relative to the adjacent carrier leakage ratio (ACLR). The proposed technique obtained ACLR values of 27 to 30 dB. The results demonstrate that signal performance improved in terms of error vector magnitude from 6.3% to 3.5% at an optical modulation index value of 63%.

We propose a spectral power shaping technique for use in intermediate frequency (IF) over fiber systems. The technique redistributes the power of nonlinear components by adjusting the spectral power of the signal. Experiments performed using 10 km distance transmission system show that the proposed technique effectively controls the power of the nonlinear components in a broadband system. The feasibility of the proposed technique was experimentally verified in terms of the error vector magnitude (EVM) and degree of channel linearity.

Based on its outstanding mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties, a Polyimide (PI) is useful in a wide range of applications. Its usage in biomedicine is drawing great attention owing to the recent confirmation of the biocompatibility of various PIs. However, the conventional patterning of a PI, based on photolithographic methods, which is expensive and time-consuming, hampers the rapid advancement of research-oriented fields that require frequent design changes. To resolve this problem, we introduce the method of the monolithic digital patterning of PI up to the quasi-three-dimensional (3D) structures at the microscale resolution by laser-induced jetting of highly porous Laser-induced graphene (LIG) from the PI matrix. Pyrolytic jetting of the LIG is dependent not only on the laser-induced temperature but also on its temporal and spatial gradients. However, the surfaces of the remaining PI can be exceptionally smooth at the optimum laser condition, comparable to the pristine surface at the microscopic level, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. On-demand microfluidic channels and multilevel imprinting molds are created in a single step using the proposed method as a proof-of-concept, substantiating its potential application in relevant research.

Future electronics are expected to develop into wearable forms, and an adequate stretchability is required for the forthcoming wearable electronics considering various motions occurring in human body. Along with stretchability, transparency can increase both the functionality and esthetic features in future wearable electronics. In this study, we demonstrate, for the first time, a highly stretchable and transparent electromagnetic interference shielding layer for wearable electronic applications with silver nanowire percolation network on elastic poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate. The proposed stretchable and transparent electromagnetic interference shielding layer shows a high electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness even under a high tensile strain condition. It is expected for the silver nanowire percolation network-based electromagnetic interference shielding layer to be beyond the conventional electromagnetic interference shielding materials and to broaden its application range to various fields that require optical transparency or nonplanar surface environment, such as biological system, human skin, and wearable electronics.

Recent research progress of relieving discomfort between electronics and human body involves serpentine designs, ultrathin films, and extraordinary properties of nanomaterials. However, these strategies addressed thus far each face own limitation for achieving desired form of electronic-skin applications. Evenly matched mechanical properties anywhere on the body and imperceptibility of electronics are two essentially required characteristics for future electronic-skin (E-skin) devices. Yet accomplishing these two main properties simultaneously is still very challenging. Hence, we propose a novel fabrication method to introduce kirigami approach to pattern a highly conductive and transparent electrode into diverse shapes of stretchable electronics with multivariable configurability for E-skin applications. These kirigami engineered patterns impart tunable elasticity to the electrodes, which can be designed to intentionally limit strain or grant ultrastretchability depending on applications over the range of 0 to over 400% tensile strain with strain-invariant electrical property and show excellent strain reversibility even after 10 000 cycles stretching while exhibiting high optical transparency (80%). The versatility of this work is demonstrated by ultrastretchable transparent kirigami heater for personal thermal management and conformal transparent kirigami electrophysiology sensor for continuous health monitoring of human body conditions. Finally, by integrating E-skin sensors with quadrotor drones, we have successfully demonstrated human-machine-interface using our stretchable transparent kirigami electrodes.

We demonstrated a reversible transparency-changing smart glass that can be operated by mechanical impacts and heat., Active control of transparency/color is the key to many functional optoelectric devices. Applying an electric field to an electrochromic or liquid crystal material is the typical approach for optical property control. In contrast to the conventional electrochromic method, we developed a new concept of smart glass using new driving mechanisms (based on mechanical stimulus and thermal energy) to control optical properties. This mechano-thermo-chromic smart glass device with an integrated transparent microheater uses a sodium acetate solution, which shows a unique marked optical property change under mechanical impact (mechanochromic) and heat (thermochromic). Such mechano-thermo-chromic devices may provide a useful approach in future smart window applications that could be operated by external environment conditions.

Pressure-sensitive touch panels can measure pressure and location (3D) information simultaneously and provide an intuitive and natural method for expressing one’s intention with a higher level of controllability and interactivity. However, they have been generally realized by a simple combination of pressure and location sensor or a stylus-based interface, which limit their implementation in a wide spectrum of applications. Here, we report a first demonstration (to our knowledge) of a transparent and flexible 3D touch which can sense the 3D information in a single device with the assistance of functionally designed self-generated multiscale structures. The single 3D touch system is demonstrated to draw a complex three-dimensional structure by utilizing the pressure as a third coordinate. Furthermore, rigorous theoretical analysis is carried out to achieve the target pressure performances with successful 3D data acquisition in wireless and wearable conditions, which in turn, paves the way for future wearable devices., Touch technology holds potential for the development of smartphones and touchscreens, yet the conventional devices are usually built on separate pressure and location sensing units. Kim et al. show a flexible and transparent touch sensor capable of mapping the position and pressure at the same time.

A polarization diversity-based PON system can be an attractive network solution for the future PON system that requires high data capacity with both a large number of subscribers and longer transmission-reach. However, the state-of-polarization (SOP) inevitably rotates during the transmission through the single-mode fiber (SMF). Therefore, this system cannot ensure high data capacity owing to the SOP rotation. In this paper, we propose the out-of-band pilot-aided SOP rotation tracking technique for in the polarization diversity-based PON transmission system. The proposed technique tracks the SOP rotation by measuring the variance of the power ratio of the inserted pilot-tone at the reference polarization axis. This technique offers the advantages of a low overhead and dynamic update for SOP variation; further, it is optical control-free and transparent for data format. For the experimental demonstration of the SOP rotation compensation, the pilot insertion was firstly optimized and the correctable range of the SOP rotation was analyzed. The results of the emulation of the uplink transmission indicated that the SNR at both polarization axes could be successfully retained by compensating the SOP rotation. Under the target forward error correction limit, the SE up to 8 bit/s/Hz within single-wavelength was obtained for 60 km PON transmission.

The advent of soft robotics has led to great advancements in robots, wearables, and even manufacturing processes by employing entirely soft-bodied systems that interact safely with any random surfaces while providing great mechanical compliance. Moreover, recent developments in soft robotics involve advances in transparent soft actuators and sensors that have made it possible to construct robots that can function in a visually and mechanically unobstructed manner, assisting the operations of robots and creating more applications in various fields. In this aspect, imperceptible soft robotics that mainly consist of optically transparent imperceptible hardware components is expected to constitute a new research focus in the forthcoming era of soft robotics. Here, the recent progress regarding extended imperceptible soft robotics is provided, including imperceptible transparent soft robotics (transparent soft actuators/sensors) and imperceptible nontransparent camouflage skins. Their principles, materials selections, and working mechanisms are discussed so that key challenges and perspectives in imperceptible soft robotic systems can be explored.

This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of multi-dimensional strain sensor that is capable of quantitative determination of the strain characteristics that can imitate the various surface strain properties. In this study, we demonstrated multi-dimensional strain sensor composed of two interlocked layers of pre-strained silver nanowire network which is capable of detecting transverse and longitudinal strain separately. By acquiring two independent electrical signals, the amplitude and the effective direction of the surface strain are calculated with high stretchability (>35%), good stability, large gauge factor (GF ∼ 20) and excellent agreement to the model predicted with 3D percolation theory. We further applied the strain sensor for controlling artificial 3D model in two dimensions by communicating with a home-made data acquisition system to confirm its high potential as a wearable skin monitoring device.

Controlling the surface morphology of the electrode on the nanoscale has been studied extensively because the surface morphology of a material directly leads to the functionalization in various fields of studies. In this study, we designed a simple and cost-effective method to fine-tune the surface morphology and create controlled nanopores on the silver electrode by utilizing 2-ethoxyethanol and two successive heat treatments. High electrical conductivity and mechanical robustness of nanoporous silver corroborate its prospect to be employed in various applications requiring a certain degree of flexibility. As a proof-of-concept, a high-performance supercapacitor was fabricated by electrodepositing MnO2. This method is expected to be useful in various electronic applications as well as energy storage devices.

Transparent and stretchable energy storage devices have attracted significant interest due to their potential to be applied to biocompatible and wearable electronics. Supercapacitors that use the reversible faradaic redox reaction of conducting polymer have a higher specific capacitance as compared with electrical double-layer capacitors. Typically, the conducting polymer electrode is fabricated through direct electropolymerization on the current collector. However, no research have been conducted on metal nanowires as current collectors for the direct electropolymerization, even though the metal nanowire network structure has proven to be superior as a transparent, flexible, and stretchable electrode platform because the conducting polymer’s redox potential for polymerization is higher than that of widely studied metal nanowires such as silver and copper. In this study, we demonstrated a highly transparent and stretchable supercapacitor by developing Ag/Au/Polypyrrole core-shell nanowire networks as electrode by coating the surface of Ag NWs with a thin layer of gold, which provide higher redox potential than the electropolymerizable monomer. The Ag/Au/Polypyrrole core-shell nanowire networks demonstrated superior mechanical stability under various mechanical bending and stretching. In addition, proposed supercapacitors showed fine optical transmittance together with fivefold improved areal capacitance compared to pristine Ag/Au core-shell nanowire mesh-based supercapacitors.