A Biomimetic Nociceptor Using Centrosymmetric Crystals for Machine Intelligence.

Pain sensation is a crucial aspect of perception in the body. Force-activated nociceptors encode electrochemical signals and yield multilevel information of pain, thus enabling smart feedback. Inspired by the natural template, multi-dimensional mechano-sensing materials provide promising approaches for biomimetic nociceptors in intelligent terminals. However, the reliance on non-centrosymmetric crystals has narrowed the range of these materials. Here we report centrosymmetric crystal Cr 3+ -doped zinc gallogermanate (ZGGO:Cr) with multi-dimensional mechano-sensing, eliminating the limitation of crystal structure. Under forces, ZGGO:Cr generates electrical signals imitating those of neuronal systems, and produces luminescence for spatial mapping of mechanical stimuli, suggesting a path toward bionic pain perception. On that basis, we developed a wireless biomimetic nociceptor system and achieved a smart pain reflex in a robotic hand and robot-assisted biopsy surgery of rat and dog. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.