Repurposed Leather with Sensing Capabilities for Multifunctional Electronic Skin

Electronic skin (e-skin), an important part toward the realization of artificial intelligence, has been developing through comprehending, mimicking, and eventually outperforming skin in some aspects. Most of the e-skin substrates are flexible polymers, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Although PDMS was found to be biocompatible, it is not suitable for long-time wearing due to its air impermeability. This study reports a simple and designable leather based e-skin by merging the natural sophisticated structure and wearing comfort of leather with the multifunctional properties of nanomaterials. The leather based e-skin could make leather, "the dead skin," repurposed for its sensing capabilities. This e-skin can be applied in flexible pressure sensors, displays, user-interactive devices, etc. It provides a new class of materials for the development of multifunctional e-skin to mimic or even outshine the functions of real skin.