Advanced Optical‐Thermal Integrated Flexible Tactile Sensor for High‐Fine Recognition of Liquid Property in Non‐Contact Mode

Abstract

AbstractFlexible sensors have been applied to accurately identify the basic features of various solid objects. However, a significant obstacle is the accurate identification of liquids, due to it is impossible to exert force directly on those. Here, an optical‐thermal flexible tactile sensor is designed for liquid recognition, which integrates PEDOT:PSS/SrTiO3 thermoelectric foam and ZnS‐CaZnOS mechanoluminescent (ML) film coated with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), enabling the simultaneous detection of thermal and optical changes with low interference, via its exceptional mechanical stimuli‐caused light and superior thermoelectric voltage, respectively. In addition, the TPU coating imparts the device with excellent hydrophobic and oleophobic properties, enhancing its durability in complex conditions. This flexible sensor, possessing high stability under thermal and mechanical cycles, can distinguish different pure solvents and turbid suspensions, achieving a high‐fine recognition accuracy of 95% and 97.5%, respectively, with the aid of the fusion algorithm of multimodal sensory data based on the thermal and optical outputs. This capability of the device can underscore the practical utility of humanoid robots to identify hazardous liquids in some scenarios like safety inspection and kitchen condiments, which addresses the critical gaps in current sensory technologies by providing a robust, sensitive, and multifunctional strategy for accurate liquid recognition.