Multi-effect synergistic flexible piezoelectric sensor for non-verbal communication of individuals with aphonia

Flexible piezoelectric sensors support wearable human-computer interaction and non-verbal assistive communication for individuals with aphonia, yet simultaneously achieving high sensitivity, fast response, reliable stability, and accurate weak-signal detection remains challenging. Here, we report a multi-effect synergistic flexible piezoelectric sensor with optimized overall sensing performance. Integrating multiple physical effects for efficient force-to-electrical conversion, it delivers 554.20 kPa −1 sensitivity in the 0–10 kPa range, with 26 ms response and 37 ms recovery time. No signal attenuation or baseline drift is observed after 1,800-s cyclic testing, demonstrating potential for long-term operational stability. It detects ultra-low pressure down to 51 Pa and captures subtle physiological signals. Combined with decision tree and XGBoost algorithms, the system achieves 96.20% ± 2.32% recognition accuracy for digits 1–10 via 5-fold cross-validation. This work provides reliable technical support for non-verbal interactive devices and valuable design references for high-performance wearable sensing systems.