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This Flexible Fiber Can Sense Pressure By Increasing Its Resistance When Pressed

Pressure sensors are quietly powering some of the most exciting technologies of the 21st century. From robotic grippers that can gently hold a strawberry, to wearable devices that monitor posture or movement, pressure sensing plays a vital role. But as technology becomes more compact, flexible, and integrated into our daily environments, traditional pressure sensors are struggling to keep up.

Most existing sensors are rigid, bulky, and difficult to incorporate into flexible systems like soft robots or smart fabrics. This major limitation has inspired researchers around the world to search for a new sensing strategy—one that is small, stretchable, sensitive, and durable.

A breakthrough has now arrived from Japan, where a research team from Shinshu University has reinvented the concept of fiber-based pressure sensing. Their new fiber is not just another version of existing designs—it introduces an entirely different mechanism that turns a core principle of pressure sensing upside down. Instead of decreasing resistance under pressure (the conventional response), these fibers increase resistance when compressed. This unusual behavior opens a new pathway for exceptionally sensitive tactile sensing.

Published in Advanced Materials in July 2025, this research points toward a future where smart textiles, soft robots, prosthetics, and interactive surfaces can achieve levels of sensory feedback once thought impossible.

In this article, we explore how this technology works, why it matters, and what exciting applications it could enable.

TGTMW fibers display a unique increase in resistance in response to pressure changes, which makes these innovative fibers a promising candidate for application as flexible pressure sensors in a wide variety of fields, including gesture-based control, robotic grippers, smart textiles, and medical care. Credit: Dr. Chunhong Zhu from Shinshu University, Japan

Why Pressure Sensors Need a Redesign

Pressure sensors are used in everything from automobiles to industrial tools—but new applications such as:

  • robotic hands

  • artificial skin

  • medical assistive robots

  • prosthetic limbs

  • smart clothing

  • gesture-detecting surfaces

…are pushing the limits of conventional pressure-sensor design.

Limitations of Traditional Sensors

Most sensors used today are built using films, foams, or aerogels. While effective, these designs have three main drawbacks:

  1. They are bulky – making them unsuitable for thin or flexible applications.

  2. They are rigid – limiting their ability to move naturally with fabrics or soft surfaces.

  3. They are difficult to integrate into small, curved, or dynamic structures.

For emerging fields like soft robotics or wearable healthcare devices, these limitations create major engineering challenges. A soft robotic hand, for example, needs sensors that are:

  • flexible

  • stretchable

  • extremely sensitive

  • able to detect small pressure changes

  • safe and comfortable for human contact

Rigid sensors simply cannot provide this level of adaptability.

Why Fibers Are the Future

To solve these problems, scientists have been exploring fiber-based sensors. Fibers—like threads or yarns—are naturally:

  • small

  • lightweight

  • flexible

  • easily woven into textiles

  • ideal for curved surfaces

But there’s a big challenge: fibers behave differently from traditional sensing materials.

In most pressure sensors, compressing the material reduces resistance. But in a long fiber, a local drop in resistance at one spot barely affects the entire fiber because the electrical path is arranged like a series circuit. The signal becomes too weak to be useful.

To become practical, a fiber-based pressure sensor must do the opposite:

It must show a large increase in resistance when compressed.

Until now, this has been extremely difficult to achieve—until the team from Shinshu University developed a revolutionary new fiber structure.

A Breakthrough from Japan: The TGTMW Fiber

The research team led by Associate Professor Chunhong Zhu and Dr. Ziwei Chen has introduced something completely new:
a multi-wall fiber with a conductive core that responds uniquely to pressure.

They named their invention TGTMW fibers, which stands for:

  • TiO₂

  • Graphene

  • Thermoplastic

  • Multi-Wall

These fibers were created using a sophisticated yet scalable method called coaxial wet-spinning. This process builds the fiber layer by layer, like assembling a coaxial cable but on a microscopic scale.

Structure of the New Fiber

The fiber consists of:

  • Outer shell: thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) mixed with titanium dioxide (TiO₂), giving strength, smoothness, and flexibility.

  • Inner core: graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)—ultra-thin, flat carbon layers known for excellent conductivity.

The graphene sheets naturally stack and cling together due to van der Waals forces, forming a neat multi-wall structure, similar to layers of rolled-up paper or rings inside a tree trunk.

This structure is the key to the sensor’s unique behavior.

The Science Behind the Magic: Resistance Increases Under Pressure

What makes TGTMW fibers stand out is their ability to increase electrical resistance when compressed—something incredibly rare in pressure-sensor design.

How It Works

When a small part of the fiber is pressed:

  1. The multi-wall structure bends inward.

  2. Compression creates tiny cracks along the walls.

  3. These cracks break the conductive pathways formed by aligned graphene sheets.

  4. The electrical resistance of that region jumps sharply.

  5. Because the fiber is a series circuit, this local resistance spike creates a strong, easily readable signal.

This mechanism solves the biggest problem in fiber sensors: achieving a measurable response from a small pressure point.

How Sensitive Is It?

The fiber is so responsive that it can detect:

  • a fingertip touch,

  • applying as little as 0.1 N of force,

  • with remarkable precision.

This level of sensitivity makes it suitable for both delicate human interactions and fine robotic control.

Why This Sensor Is a Big Deal

The TGTMW fiber isn't just another incremental improvement—it represents a fundamental shift in how pressure can be detected in flexible systems.

Here’s why this is groundbreaking:

1. Highly Sensitive and Localized Detection

Even pressure on a very small part of the fiber produces a strong electrical signal. This allows the creation of:

  • high-resolution touch maps

  • accurate force distribution readings

  • precise feedback for robotic manipulation

2. Flexible and Comfortable

The TPU outer shell makes the fiber soft and comfortable—ideal for use in:

  • wearable sensors

  • medical textiles

  • prosthetic limbs

This comfort is especially important for human–robot interaction, where safety is a priority.

3. Safe for Soft Robotic Interaction

Dr. Zhu highlights a critical point:

“Most available tactile sensors used on robotic hands are rigid, which poses the risk of discomfort or injury during human contact. Fiber-shaped flexible pressure sensors offer both comfort and compliance.”

This makes TGTMW fibers an excellent candidate for robots in:

  • elderly care

  • rehabilitation support

  • medical assistance

  • collaborative industrial work

4. Ability to Distinguish Between Touch Types

The researchers created a three-fiber array and analyzed signals using wavelet transforms. Surprisingly, the fiber could detect not just pressure, but also:

  • sliding movements

  • friction direction

  • the difference between static and dynamic friction

This is similar to the way human fingertips interpret texture and motion.

5. Scalable Manufacturing

The coaxial wet-spinning method is reliable and scalable, meaning these fibers could be mass-produced for real-world industries.

Real-World Applications: What This Could Enable

This new fiber design unlocks a massive range of possibilities across multiple fields.

1. Soft Robotics

Robots need advanced sensing to interact safely with humans. TGTMW fibers could be built directly into:

  • robotic fingers

  • assistive grippers

  • soft robotic skins

  • medical robots

Robotic hands using these fibers could gently handle objects with the sensitivity of human touch.

2. Smart Textiles

Since the fiber is thin and flexible, it can easily be woven into fabrics for:

  • smart clothing

  • pressure-mapping textiles

  • posture-correcting garments

  • wearable rehabilitation systems

These garments could collect movement data without bulky electronics.

3. Prosthetics

Artificial limbs require precise sensory feedback to feel more natural. These fibers could help prosthetic devices detect:

  • grip pressure

  • slip or drag

  • object texture

  • accidental collisions

This could dramatically improve the usability and comfort of prosthetic hands.

4. Interactive Surfaces

In challenging environments where touchscreens fail—such as underwater, in dusty spaces, or in space missions—these fibers could form:

  • gesture-responsive panels

  • pressure-sensitive control surfaces

  • interactive robotic suits

5. Human–Machine Interface in Extreme Conditions

Astronauts, divers, and workers in hazardous industries could benefit from gear equipped with TGTMW fibers for intuitive communication through gestures or pressure signals.

A New Direction for Sensor Technology

The researchers believe their work sparks the beginning of an entirely new research direction.

In their own words:

“Our work could be seen as the beginning of a new subfield—introducing a distinct fiber-based pressure sensor architecture and offering a working prototype with solid performance.”

This is not just a novel sensor—it is a new architecture, a fresh way of thinking about how we sense pressure through flexible materials.

Key Advantages at a Glance

  • ✔ Resistance increases with compression (rare and highly useful for fibers)

  • ✔ Sensitive to very small pressures

  • ✔ Comfortable, soft, and wearable

  • ✔ Highly durable

  • ✔ Capable of interpreting friction and motion

  • ✔ Scalable manufacturing

  • ✔ Wide range of real-world applications

Looking Ahead: What Future Devices Could Look Like

If adopted widely, this technology could lead to:

  • robotic hands that feel textures

  • clothing that senses your posture

  • sportswear that tracks muscle pressure

  • medical robots with “human-like” touch

  • space suits that respond to hand gestures

  • prosthetics that react like real limbs

  • interactive fabrics for virtual reality

Imagine a jacket that can control your phone through squeezes or swipes, or a robot nurse that can safely handle fragile objects. These ideas are suddenly much closer to reality.

Conclusion: A Small Fiber with Huge Potential

The TGTMW fiber developed by Shinshu University demonstrates how a clever change in internal structure can rewrite the rules of pressure sensing.

By designing a multi-wall graphene-based core that increases resistance when compressed, the researchers solved one of the biggest challenges in fiber-based sensors. Their innovation combines:

  • scientific elegance

  • practical functionality

  • real-world scalability

This breakthrough could transform next-generation devices across robotics, healthcare, textiles, and human–machine interfaces.

As we move deeper into an era where machines interact closely with humans, technologies like this will become essential. Flexible, sensitive, and safe tactile sensors aren’t just improvements—they’re foundational tools for the future of smart devices.

The TGTMW fiber is more than a clever invention. It is a pathway to new possibilities, a foundation for future breakthroughs, and a shining example of how innovative materials science can reshape the world around us.

Reference: Z. Chen, D. Xie, K. Kojima, et al. “ Fibrous Pressure Sensor with Unique Resistance Increase under Partial Compression: Coaxial Wet-Spun TiO2/Graphene/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Multi-Wall Multifunctional Fiber.” Adv. Mater. 37, no. 40 (2025): 2509631. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202509631

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