Multifunctional Embroidered Triboelectric Human-Machine Interface (HMI)

Human-machine interfacing (HMI) systems are essential components of daily life integrating technology into our routines by enabling intuitive interaction with various devices and systems. The advancement of smart textiles and wearable devices has led to a growing demand for flexible human-machine interfaces (HMIs). In this study, a multifunctional textile HMI is introduced. Conductive silver-coated nylon yarn was embroidered onto polyester woven fabric with a comb-like structure. The embroidered fabric was subsequently covered with a thin layer of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) polymeric film/nanofiber, resulting in a triboelectric nanogenerator(TENG) structure. When interacting with a finger, this structure operates under both free-standing and single-electrode TENG principles. Signals generated from hand-finger sliding and tapping motions show that the nanofiber-coated sample produced a higher voltage, reaching up to 40V, and exhibited greater power output. In contrast, the polymeric film displayed more durability but generated a voltage of up to 10V.