Advances in Piezoelectret Materials-Based Bidirectional Haptic Communication Devices.

ABSTRACT

Bidirectional haptic communication devices accelerate the revolution of virtual/augmented reality and flexible/wearable electronics. As an emerging kind of flexible piezoelectric materials, piezoelectret materials can effortlessly convert mechanical force into electrical signals and respond to electrical fields in a deformation manner, exhibiting enormous potential in the construction of bidirectional haptic communication devices. Existing reviews on piezoelectret materials primarily focus on flexible energy harvesters and sensors, and the recent development of piezoelectret-based bidirectional haptic communication devices has not been comprehensively reviewed. Herein, a comprehensive overview of the materials construction, along with the recent advances in bidirectional haptic communication devices, is provided. First, the development timeline, key characteristics, and various fabrication methods of piezoelectret materials are introduced. Subsequently, following the underlying mechanisms of bidirectional electromechanical signal conversion of piezoelectret, strategies to improve the d33 coefficients of materials are proposed. The principles of haptic perception and feedback are also highlighted, and representative works and progress in this area are summarized. Finally, the challenges and opportunities associated with improving the overall practicability of piezoelectret materials-based bidirectional haptic communication devices are discussed.