Shuang Li, Jun Li, Biao Wu, Y Y Xu
With enhancements in the performance of flexible pressure sensors, they are becoming increasingly important in flexible electronics and interactive applications. Although various structures have been developed to improve the sensor, achieving high sensitivity and wide-range pressure detection remains a major challenge. In this work, a piezoresistive pressure sensor with a stepped porous structure is proposed, which effectively improves the sensitivity and simultaneously broadens the sensing range. Owing to the synergistic effect of the porous and step-like structure, the sensor features a high sensitivity (214.74 kPa –1, 187 times higher than a flat-structured device), a wide detection range (0–245 kPa), and a stability of over 12000 loading–unloading cycles. Additionally, in the actual experiments, the device is capable of detecting various physiological signals of humans in real time and can be applied in human–computer interaction cases involving spatial pressure distribution and game control, indicating great application prospects in healthcare monitoring and human–computer interaction.