An Artificial Spiking Afferent Nerve Based on Synaptic Transistor for Thermal Perception

The emulation of biological perception system enhances electronics via superior environmental interpretation accuracy. This research presents an artificial thermosensitive afferent nerve replicating key biological functions associated with cutaneous thermal perception, information processing, and reflex responses. The neuromorphic device integrates a thermosensitive sensor, a spiking encoder module, an ion gel-gated artificial synapse, and a spiking convolutional neural network (SCNN). This device allows precise temperature detection and initiates reflex-like responses to noxious thermal stimuli. It demonstrates high accuracy in regional temperature recognition and identification of handwritten digits (98.7%). The fundings indicate a viable strategy for paving the way toward future advancements in artificial nerves, neural prosthetics, and humanoid robotics.