A biomimetic nociceptor system with tactile perception based on Ni-Al layered double hydroxides/gelatin heterojunction memristor

The sensations of touch and pain are fundamental components of our daily existence, serving as conduits for providing crucial insights into our environment and ensuring the safeguarding of our health. To date, the exploration of artificial systems that combine pain and touch perception has remained very limited. Moreover, memristor based visualization of pain degree is rarely reported. The electronic simulation of the from pressure stimuli to nociceptors was conducted in this work. For this purpose, a bionic sensory system has been developed to present tactile perception. In this system, the piezoelectric film sensor serves as an electronic skin to mimic artificial mechanoreceptors for sensing external pressure stimulation and generating signals. Meanwhile, the Ni-Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs)/gelatin heterojunction memristor emulates biological nociceptors to receive and process receptor signals, with luminous diode used as displays to indicate the degree of artificial contusion. The Ni-Al LDHs/gelatin heterojunction memristor demonstrates essential characteristics of nociceptors, including threshold, no adaptation, relaxation, and sensitization phenomena of allodynia and hyperalgesia. This biomimetic artificial tactile and pain perception system successfully simulates the perception threshold and sensitivity to pressure stimuli. The potential ability of humanoid robots could be demonstrated by utilizing the system as an artificial tactile alarm system.