A flexible pressure sensor based on melamine foam capped by copper nanowires and reduced graphene oxide

High-performance flexible pressure sensors with high sensitivity and large sensing range are vital components of the system for physiological signals collection, human-machine interaction and artificial intelligence. Herein, a flexible pressure sensor of copper nanowires/reduced graphene oxide/melamine foam (CuRGOMF) was fabricated by coating reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and in-situ growing of copper nanowires (Cu NWs) on the skeleton of melamine foam (MF). The as-prepared sensor features high sensitivity at wide working range (0.011 kPa−1, 0–1.5 kPa; 0.088 kPa−1, 1.5–10 kPa and 0.024kPa−1, 10–18 kPa) and cyclic stability (5000 cycles). The human motions of finger bending, grasping, clicking the mouse and picking up/dropping objects can be successfully detected in real-time based on the CuRGOMF sensor. The CuRGOMF sensor illustrates a promising candidate for healthcare monitoring and wearable device in artificial intelligence.