A Flexible Thin‐Film Tactile Sensor for Robust Force and Position Sensing Under Extensive Deformations

Abstract

Electronic skins capable of precise tactile perception under large mechanical deformations are critical for the advancement of soft robotics and wearable interfaces. However, achieving force and position perception in ultrathin flexible sensors while maintaining stable performance under mechanical deformation remains challenging. Here, we present a thin‐film flexible tactile sensor that can sense normal contact force and two‐dimensional in‐plane positional information, with stable performance across a range of bent states. Systematic characterization under flat and different bent states demonstrates stable pressure‐ and position‐sensing performance, including high linearity, stable sensitivity, acceptable hysteresis, and stable cyclic performance under repeated loading conditions. The sensing capability is further validated in robotic and wearable applications. A single taxel integrated into a soft fin‐ray gripper enables rapid slippage detection based on tactile signal variations. Combined with convolutional neural networks, the single taxel unit recognizes nine handwritten symbols with a test accuracy of 91.60 ± 1.21%. By scaling the sensor into compact arrays, a 32‐taxel planar array achieves nine‐class 2D shape recognition with a test accuracy of 97.19 ± 1.19%, whereas a 16‐taxel array laminated onto a disposable film glove enables five‐class 3D object recognition with a test accuracy of 97.70 ± 0.48%. This work demonstrates a scalable strategy for integrating force and position perception into ultrathin deformable tactile systems, providing opportunities for soft robotics, wearable electronics, and intelligent human–machine interfaces.