Electronic Skin Empowered by Structural Design

Inspired by human skin, electronic skin (e-skin) integrates multidisciplinary technologies from materials engineering to microelectronics. It aims to replicate the skin's ability to perceive pressure, temperature, and humidity while also exhibiting excellent biocompatibility. As an emerging technology, e-skin holds significant promise across diverse fields, including industry, medicine, the military, and robotics. This review summarizes recent progress in the structural design of e-skin, which is a pivotal factor enabling breakthroughs in its functionality and performance. The e-skin structural design strategies are classified into three categories: skin-like perception regulation and performance enhancement, conformal interface stabilization design, and beyond-skin functionality design. These strategies facilitate skin-like multimodal sensing, stable human-machine interfaces, and capabilities exceeding those of biological skin, respectively. Current challenges and future prospects for e-skin development are also discussed.