Bioinspired nanomaterials for wearable sensing and human–machine interfacing

The inculcation of bioinspiration in sensing and human–machine interface (HMI) technologies can lead to distinctive characteristics such as conformability, low power consumption, high sensitivity, and unique properties like self-healing, self-cleaning, and adaptability. Both sensing and HMI are fields rife with opportunities for the application of bioinspired nanomaterials, particularly when it comes to wearable sensory systems where biocompatibility is an additional requirement. This review discusses recent development in bioinspired nanomaterials for wearable sensing and HMIs, with a specific focus on state-of-the-art bioinspired capacitive sensors, piezoresistive sensors, piezoelectric sensors, triboelectric sensors, magnetoelastic sensors, and electrochemical sensors. We also present a comprehensive overview of the challenges that have hindered the scientific advancement in academia and commercialization in the industry.