Chemistry-Centered Flexible Sensing and Actuation Systems for Advanced Human-Machine Interfaces

Sensors and actuators are fundamental building blocks of next-generation human-machine interfaces. This talk presents our recent efforts to establish closed-loop, bidirectional communication and feedback within living systems, with an emphasis on the chemical dimension. The first part of the talk introduces a novel class of flexible, miniaturized probes inspired by biofuel cells for monitoring synaptic release of glutamate in the central nervous system. The resulting sensors can detect real-time changes in glutamate within the biologically relevant concentration range. These advances could aid in basic neuroscience studies and translational engineering, as the sensors provide a diagnostic tool for neurological disorders. The second part of the talk presents our recent work on a bio-integrated gustatory interface, “e-Taste,” which addresses the underrepresented chemical dimension in current VR/AR technologies. This system facilitates remote perception and replication of taste sensations through the coupling of physically separated sensors and actuators with wireless communication modules. Together, these efforts aim to advance the co-design of systems capable of capturing signals and providing feedback, addressing the relatively underexplored chemical aspect in many fields.

https://psu.zoom.us/j/94639233394