High-Performance Flexible Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors with Composite Materials and 3D Lattice Structures for Advanced Health Monitoring
Shuoshuo Kong, Zhongming Li, Jiahong Han, Bin Li, Lidong Xia, Naiqi Jiang, Fei Chen
Abstract
Despite significant advancements in flexible pressure sensors, achieving a wide reliable sensing range remains a considerable challenge due to inherent limitations in traditional material systems and structural designs. In this work, we present a novel piezoresistive sensor based on a composite material comprising functionalized transition metal carbides and multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded in a thermoplastic polyurethane matrix. This composite is integrated with four advanced 3D lattice structures─body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, Voronoi, and triply periodic minimal surfaces─fabricated using parametric structural design and 3D printing technologies. The resulting sensors demonstrate exceptional performance, exhibiting a high sensitivity of 10.29 MPa –1 and a broad detection range of up to 10 MPa. Finite element analysis reveals the relationship between the structural topology and sensor performance, offering valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of sensors with different architectures. Practical applications include pulse detection, facial expression recognition, finger bending, and real-time motion tracking. Furthermore, a 4 × 4 sensor array successfully maps spatial pressure distribution across multiple users, highlighting its potential for wearable health monitoring and human–machine interface applications.