Abstract Human somatosensation arises from one-dimensional (1D) nerve bundles that compactly transmit multimodal sensory signals along linear pathways, where proprioceptive and tactile receptors are intricately coordinated to enable precise perception and adaptive motor control. Inspired by this biological architecture, we develop a fiber-based artificial somatosensory system that reproduces such multimodal coordination within a single 1D structure. The fiber form factor can be freely distributed and routed throughout three-dimensional (3D) robotic or anatomical frameworks, emulating the connectivity and compactness of biological nerves. Fabricated via a thermal drawing process, these multimaterial fibers achieve high throughput and precise microstructural control over meter-scale lengths while integrating an optical strain-sensing unit (artificial muscle spindle) and an electrical pressure-sensing unit (artificial tactile receptor) in a single body. This configuration enables simultaneous yet decoupled detection of strain and pressure, providing multimodal feedback analogous to natural somatosensation. When embedded in robotic limbs, our multisensory fibers reproduce coordinated proprioceptive and tactile feedback during manipulation and locomotion, closely mimicking the functional integration of biological mechanoreceptors. This work establishes a scalable and biologically inspired route toward 1D fiber-based 3D artificial somatosensation, offering new opportunities for enhanced robotic feedback, human-machine interfaces, and next-generation artificial skin technologies.
Jeon et al. (Fri,) studied this question.