eskin

Eskin, often written as e-skin, refers to electronic skin, a class of flexible, stretchable electronic systems designed to mimic some functional aspects of human skin. It combines sensor arrays with flexible electronics to detect mechanical, thermal, chemical, or physiological stimuli and transmit data to a device or wearer.

The concept grew from research in epidermal electronics, a field focused on electronics that can conform to irregular surfaces like the human body. Notable work and ongoing developments have established e-skin as a platform for unobtrusive, biocompatible sensing and interaction with the user.

A typical e-skin consists of an ultrathin substrate, such as PDMS or a polymer foil, with embedded sensors, flexible interconnects, and a compact power and communication module. Sensor types include pressure or tactile sensors, temperature, humidity, pH, and chemical sensing. Some systems use wireless transmission or energy harvesting to reduce dependence on bulky batteries.

Materials commonly used include silicone polymers, elastomeric substrates, and conductive nanomaterials such as gold, graphene, or carbon nanotubes. Fabrication techniques involve transfer printing, stencil printing, and soft lithography to create stretchable circuits that can conform to skin without significant impedance during movement.

Applications span healthcare monitoring, prosthetics control, rehabilitation, and tactile sensing for robotics or immersive interfaces. E-skin enables continuous vital-sign tracking, wound monitoring, or sensory feedback for prostheses, potentially improving comfort and function.

Current challenges include long-term biocompatibility, durability under sweat and motion, data security, and powering the systems. Research aims to improve reliability, reduce thickness, and enable multi-modal sensing with self-powered or self-healing capabilities.