A kirigami-enabled stretchable self-powered tactile array with strain-isolation PTFE–Cu–PTFE architecture

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of flexible electronics and soft robotics, tactile sensors integrating outstanding stretchability, long-term operational stability, and self-powered characteristics are urgently demanded, yet conventional devices can hardly achieve these three key performances simultaneously. Herein, a 4 × 4 stretchable triboelectric tactile sensing array combining a kirigami stress-dissipation structure and a symmetric PTFE–Cu–PTFE sandwich film system is proposed. The kirigami topological configuration enables directional stress redistribution and strain isolation, effectively resolving the inherent trade-off between stretchable deformability and sensing output stability. Electrical characterization reveals that the device retains over 95% of its initial signal under 20% and 40% tensile strains. After 20 000 stretch-release cycles, the signal retention remains above 96%, demonstrating favorable cyclic durability and stretching stability. Meanwhile, the device delivers reliable pressure response, with favorable inter-pixel output consistency maintained during dynamic stretching. Multi-channel voltage acquisition further verifies the array’s superior spatial and temporal resolution for tactile detection. This study offers a novel structural design strategy for high-performance self-powered tactile sensing devices, holding promising prospects in next-generation flexible wearable electronics and intelligent soft robotic perception systems.