Fish‐Scale‐Inspired Giant Piezocapacitive Sensors for Human‐Level Touch Perception

Abstract

ABSTRACT Achieving human‐level touch perception in robotics requires flexible sensors that combine a low detection limit, rapid response, robust reliability, and ease of fabrication. Yet, integrating these diverse characteristics into a single device remains a formidable challenge. This work presents a giant piezocapacitive sensor (GPCS) that matches human touch perception capabilities, based on a fish‐scale‐inspired electric‐field gating film. This mechanically compliant and robust biomimetic film consists of high‐permittivity rigid scales separated by air gaps within an elastomer matrix, resulting in a high bulk permittivity. These gaps act as electric‐field gates that modulate the fringing electric field between electrode pairs, translating subtle mechanical deformations into substantial capacitance changes. Consequently, the GPCS achieves an exceptional bidirectional bending resolution of 0.005° over a range of ± 90° with a response time of 0.6 ms, showing no performance degradation in a 100 000‐cycle bending test. This performance enables the precise discrimination of 16 fabric textures and the detection of surface topographies as fine as 1.8 µm—sufficient to resolve printed toner lines on paper. Finally, a GPCS array is integrated onto a robotic gripper, demonstrating in situ ripeness evaluation of kiwis during grasping, automated fruit sorting, and intuitive human–robot interactions.