Cited by 127Advanced Memory and Neural ComputingNanowire Synthesis and ApplicationsAdvancements in Semiconductor Devices and Circuit Design

Nanowire FET Based Neural Element for Robotic Tactile Sensing Skin

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Taube Navaraj, William, García Núñez, Carlos, Shakthivel, Dhayalan, Vinciguerra, Vincenzo, Labeau, Fabrice, Gregory, Duncan H., Dahiya, Ravinder·2017·Frontiers in Neuroscience

Abstract

This paper presents novel Neural Nanowire Field Effect Transistors (υ­NWFETs) based hardware-implementable neural network (HNN) approach for tactile data processing in electronic skin (e-skin). The viability of Si nanowires (NWs) as the active material for υ­NWFETs in HNN is explored through modelling and demonstrated by fabricating the first device. Using υ­NWFETs to realize HNNs is an interesting approach as by printing NWs on large area flexible substrates it will be possible to develop a bendable tactile skin with distributed neural elements (for local data processing, as in biological skin) in the backplane. The modeling and simulation of υ­NWFET based devices show that the overlapping areas between individual gates and the floating gate determines the initial synaptic weights of the neural network - thus validating the working of υ­NWFETs as the building block for HNN. The simulation has been further extended to υ­NWFET based circuits and neuronal computation system and this has been validated by interfacing it with a transparent tactile skin prototype (comprising of 6x6 ITO based capacitive tactile sensors array) integrated on the palm of a 3D printed robotic hand. In this regard, a tactile data coding system is presented to detect touch gesture and the direction of touch. Following these simulation studies, a four-gated υ­NWFET is fabricated with Pt/Ti metal stack for gates, source and drain, Ni floating gate, and Al2O3 high-k dielectric layer. The current­voltage characteristics of fabricated υ­NWFET devices confirm the dependence of turn­off voltages on the (synaptic) weight of each gate. The presented υ­NWFET approach is promising for a neuro-robotic tactile sensory system with distributed computing as well as numerous futuristic applications such as prosthetics, and electroceuticals.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fnins.2017.00501

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  • Estimates of tactile fiber innervation in the current literature are few, often incomplete and inconsistent, and range from around 45,000 fibers to millions.

    “Estimates of tactile fiber innervation in the current literature are few, often incomplete and inconsistent, and range from a total innervation of around 45,000 fibers (Taube Navaraj et al. 2017) into the millions (Grunwald 2017).”

    From Tactile innervation densities across the whole body (2020) · cites this paper as Taube Navaraj et al. 2017

    The Introduction estimates that about 45,000 mechanoreceptors would be needed across 1.5 m² of human-inspired robotic e-skin. That supports the approximate number attributed to this source, but it is an estimate of sensors needed to mimic touch, not a count of tactile fiber innervation. The claim about estimates reaching millions is attributed to a different source. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Taube Navaraj, W., García Núñez, C., Shakthivel, D., Vinciguerra, V., Labeau, F., Gregory, D. H., & Dahiya, R.
Affiliations
  • University of Glasgow (GB)
  • STMicroelectronics (Italy) (IT)
  • McGill University (CA)
Corresponding author
Dahiya, Ravinder
Venue
Frontiers in Neuroscience
Published
2017-09-20
Volume
11
Pages
501-501
ISSN
1662-453X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2755222108
Cited by
127
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 4
FWCI
6.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (acceptedVersion)
  • ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship@McGill (McGill) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/M002527/1)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Advanced Memory and Neural Computing
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Nanowire Synthesis and Applications
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Advancements in Semiconductor Devices and Circuit Design
Keywords
nanowire field-effect transistors, silicon nanowires, electronic skin, tactile sensing, robotic hand, synaptic weights, floating gate, capacitive tactile sensor, neurorobotics, flexible electronics, high-k dielectrics

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