Artificial nociceptor with Pt/NbO x /Graphene memristive device

Abstract Nociceptors, the body’s essential alarm system, detect harmful stimuli (mechanical, thermal, chemical) and trigger protective neural responses. Memristive devices offer a powerful platform for emulating such biological functions due to their ion-migration dynamics, which naturally replicate neural threshold behaviors and plasticity. While prior memristive artificial nociceptors have successfully mimicked key characteristics of A-MH I-type nociceptors (threshold activation, relaxation, allodynia, hyperalgesia), the implementation of A-MH II-type responses, such as subthreshold response, rapid active, adaption and fatigue behaviors, remains scarce despite its critical role in realistic biomimetics. Here, we develop a Pt/NbO x /Graphene memristive device-based nociceptor leveraging electron trapping/de-trapping dynamics. This device comprehensively emulates both A-MH I-type features and previously overlooked A-MH II-type properties. The successful dual-type nociceptor emulation demonstrates exceptional potential for constructing high-fidelity biomimetic systems in advanced robotics, prosthetics, and neuromorphic sensing.