A Dual-layer Proximity Detector With Environmental Resilience and Material Discrimination for Collision Prevention

With the rapid development of smart devices, there is a growing urgency for proximity-sensing technologies that offer high precision and low power consumption. This work introduces a dual-layer triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) sensor based on the synergistic effects of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction. By harnessing differences of dual-signal outputs from the inner and outer layers, the sensor enables multilevel detection of approach, contact, and collision without environmental impacts. Additionally, the sensor exhibits stability at various humidity fluctuations and during 5000 test cycles. The water transfer technology is combined to prepare a curved TENG as the shell of a sweeping robot to realize the barrier monitoring system. The sensor can also be integrated into industrial collision avoidance systems and autonomous driving applications, providing multilevel alert functions and offering a novel approach to proximity sensing technology.