Wireless programmable patterns of electro-hydraulic haptic electronic skins able to create surface morphology

Haptic feedback technology represents a frontier with revolutionary potential, particularly in virtual and augmented reality. Skin, as an underexplored sensory interface, holds tremendous potential to significantly enrich our perceptual experiences while directly impacting the fields of communication, entertainment, and medicine. This article presents a programmable, ultra-lightweight, and ultra-thin wireless wearable haptic electronic skin that achieves rapid response and large mechanical feedback force and deformation displacement output. The electronic skin comprises a series of haptic electro-hydraulic actuators, each with the weight of 0.023 g and the thickness of 199 μm. Each actuator can be independently regulated and produce a maximum normal force of 150 mN and a normal displacement of 0.58 mm, simultaneously achieving the haptic presentation of textures. Relying on a portable multi-channel control circuit system designed, each electro-hydraulic actuator of the haptic electronic skin can be precisely control to achieve various haptic patterns. Showcasing its potentials, the haptic technology aids visual-impaired individuals in reading books, provides ground navigation instructions, and enhances gaming experiences, contributing to a more immersive and authentic artificial intelligence environment.