A bio-inspired neuromorphic pressure afferent nerve based on fully inkjet-printed synaptic transistor

Abstract

Drawing inspiration from the biomechanical and neural motor systems of trap-jaw ants, we introduce an artificial mechanoreceptive afferent nerve (AMAN) designed for tactile perception, with applications in neuromorphic computation and muscle actuation. The AMAN integrates a pressure sensor, spiking encoder module, IGZO synaptic transistor, flexible electromagnetic actuator, and spiking convolutional neural network to replicate key biological functions such as pressure perception, information processing, adaptive responses, and spatial pressure pattern recognition. This neuromorphic device exhibits a broad pressure perception range, rapid threshold response time (<4 s), and exceptional accuracy (99.3%) in spatially localized pressure mapping and handwritten digit identification. These advancements pave the way for bioinspired and biointegrated electronics that emulate biological neural systems.