Overview

• Researchers at Seoul National University of Science and Technology report a 3D-printed tactile sensing platform built on a cubic auxetic lattice with spherical voids.
• The auxetic structure exhibits a negative Poisson’s ratio that concentrates strain under compression, which the team says enhances sensitivity, improves stability in confined housings, and reduces crosstalk between units.
• Dual transduction was demonstrated: capacitive sensing via changes in electrode spacing and dielectric distribution, and piezoresistive sensing via a conformal carbon nanotube coating that varies resistance under load.
• Proof-of-concept devices included a pressure-mapping tactile array capable of object classification and a wearable insole that monitored gait patterns and detected pronation type.
• Findings were published July 6, 2025, in Advanced Functional Materials, with the team citing potential applications in smart insoles, robotic hands, and wearable health monitoring, along with geometry-based customization without changing base materials.