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Development of an artificial camouflage at a complete device level remains a vastly challenging task, especially under the aim of achieving more advanced and natural camouflage characteristics via high-resolution camouflage patterns. Our strategy is to integrate a thermochromic liquid crystal layer with the vertically stacked, patterned silver nanowire heaters in a multilayer structure to overcome the limitations of the conventional lateral pixelated scheme through the superposition of the heater-induced temperature profiles. At the same time, the weaknesses of thermochromic camouflage schemes are resolved in this study by utilizing the temperature-dependent resistance of the silver nanowire network as the process variable of the active control system. Combined with the active control system and sensing units, the complete device chameleon model successfully retrieves the local background color and matches its surface color instantaneously with natural transition characteristics to be a competent option for a next-generation artificial camouflage., Realizing an artificial camouflage device with a high spatial resolution by adapting to the surrounding environment in real-time is a challenging task, mainly associated with device fabrication and integration with sensor and control circuits. To overcome these limitations, the authors utilize thermochromic liquid crystal ink that reacts to the feedback control system of the vertically stacked silver nanowire heater.

The patterning of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) hydrogels with excellent electrical property and spatial resolution is a challenge for bioelectronic applications. However, most PEDOT:PSS hydrogels are fabricated by conventional manufacturing processes such as photolithography, inkjet printing, and screen printing with complex fabrication steps or low spatial resolution. Moreover, the additives used for fabricating PEDOT:PSS hydrogels are mostly cytotoxic, thus requiring days of detoxification. Here, we developed a previously unexplored ultrafast and biocompatible digital patterning process for PEDOT:PSS hydrogel via phase separation induced by a laser. We enhanced the electrical properties and aqueous stability of PEDOT:PSS by selective laser scanning, which allowed the transformation of PEDOT:PSS into water-stable hydrogels. PEDOT:PSS hydrogels showed high electrical conductivity of 670 S/cm with 6-μm resolution in water. Furthermore, electrochemical properties were maintained even after 6 months in a physiological environment. We further demonstrated stable neural signal recording and stimulation with hydrogel electrodes fabricated by laser.

Generally, cracking occurs for many reasons connected to uncertainties and to the non-uniformity resulting from intrinsic deficiencies in materials or the non-linearity of applied external (thermal, mechanical, etc.) stresses. However, recently, an increased level of effort has gone into analyzing the phenomenon of cracking and also into methods for controlling it. Sophisticated manipulation of cracking has yielded various cutting-edge technologies such as transparent conductors, mechanical sensors, microfluidics, and energy devices. In this paper, we present some of the recent progress that has been made in controlling cracking by giving an overview of the fabrication methods and working mechanisms used for various mediums. In addition, we discuss recent progress in the various applications of methods that use controlled cracking as an alternative to patterning tools.

Evolution has decided to gift an articular structure to vertebrates, but not to invertebrates, owing to their distinct survival strategies. An articular structure permits kinematic motion in creatures. However, it is inappropriate for creatures whose survival strategy depends on the high deformability of their body. Accordingly, a material in which the presence of the articular structure can be altered, allowing the use of two contradictory strategies, will be advantageous in diverse dynamic applications. Herein, spatial micro‐water molecule manipulation, termed engineering on variable occupation of water (EVO), that is used to realize a material with dual mechanical modes that exhibit extreme differences in stiffness is introduced. A transparent and homogeneous soft material (110 kPa) reversibly converts to an opaque material embodying a mechanical gradient (ranging from 1 GPa to 1 MPa) by on‐demand switching. Intensive theoretical analysis of EVO yields the design of spatial transformation scheme. The EVO gel accomplishes kinematic motion planning and shows great promise for multimodal kinematics. This approach paves the way for the development and application of smart functional materials., In this paper, a strategy that manipulates micro‐water of hydrogel in reversible, selective, and on‐demand manner is reported. It realizes instant switching between a transparent and homogeneously soft gel and an opaque and heterogeneously rigid solid with a monolithic mechanical gradient. These two mechanical dual modes mimicking the characteristic of invertebrate and vertebrate demonstrate multi‐modal kinematics.

The recent development of human–machine interface (HMI) involves advances in wearable devices that safely interact with the human body while providing high mechanical compliance. Various cutting‐edge technologies such as highly stretchable electronics, multiple sensor fusion, and wearable exoskeletons have enabled a higher level of interactivity. Notably, recent developments using machine intelligence have achieved unprecedented performance and solved various challenges. Herein, the recent progresses in stretchable HMI including stretchable sensors, stretchable actuating systems, and machine intelligence‐aided stretchable devices are presented, and their principles and working mechanisms are discussed.

Correction for ‘Recent progress in controlled nano/micro cracking as an alternative nano-patterning method for functional applications’ by Jinwook Jung et al., Nanoscale Horiz., 2020, DOI: 10.1039/D0NH00241K.

Spatial Micro‐Water Manipulation An octopus with homogeneously soft structure can easily hide in rocks, where an athlete can throw javelin in precisely controlled manner thanks to the articular structure. Nature designed these distinctive structures by adjusting the amount of water inside. For taking both of their kinematics, the spatial micro‐water molecule manipulation maneuvers the amount of water in the hydrogel enabling the alteration between two structures. More details can be found in article number 2102536 by Seung Hwan Ko and co‐workers. [Image: see text]

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.

Pressure-sensitive touch panels provide an intuitive and natural method to sketch and write with new levels of control and interactivity. However, they require a combination of sensors or a stylus-based interface to identify 3D signals, which prevents their implementation in a wide spectrum of applications. Here, we report a transparent and flexible 3D touch which operates in a single device with the assistance of multiscale structures and a nanowire percolation network. The device could assign functionalities to objects without reference to any varying surfaces. Rigorous theoretical analysis allowed us to achieve the target pressure sensitivity, and successful 3D data acquisition was carried out through the 6-wire measuring technique.

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.

To overcome the limitation of the conventional single axis-strain sensor, we demonstrate a multidimensional strain sensor composed of two layers of prestrained silver nanowire percolation network with decoupled and polarized electrical response in principal and perpendicular directional strain. The information on strain vector is successfully measured up to 35% maximum strain with large gauge factor (>20). The potential of the proposed sensor as a versatile wearable device has been further confirmed.

Fabricating stretchable conductors through simple, cost-effective and scalable methods is a challenge. Here, we report on an approach used to develop nanowelded Ag nanowire/single-walled carbon nanotube (AgNW/SWCNT) hybrid films to be used as high-performance stretchable conductors. Plasmonic welding, which was done at the junctions of AgNWs in order to form hybrid AgNW/SWCNT conductors on an Ecoflex substrate, enabled excellent electrical and mechanical stability under large tensile strains of over 480% without the need to pre-strain. Furthermore, we demonstrate highly stretchable circuits that are used to power LED arrays. The LED arrays are formed using the plasmonic-welded AgNW/SWCNT/Ecoflex hybrid material, which demonstrates suitability for interconnector applications in flexible electronics.