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About

Juan Zhu is a pioneering researcher at the forefront of electronic skin (e-skin) technology, with a focus on biomimetic sensing mechanisms that replicate the sophisticated sensory capabilities of human skin. Her work centers on potentiometric mechanotransduction, triboelectric sensing, and the development of multifunctional e-skins capable of thermosensation and mechanosensation — areas with profound implications for prosthetics, robotics, and human-machine interfaces. Zhu's most influential contribution, "A potentiometric mechanotransduction mechanism for novel electronic skins" (2020), has garnered 123 citations and introduced a groundbreaking approach inspired by the membrane potential dynamics of biological skin sensory cells. Complementing this, her work on a self-adapting, self-powered mechanoreceptor using a potentiometric–triboelectric hybridized mechanism (83 citations) elegantly addressed the longstanding challenge of mimicking skin's slow and fast adapting capabilities within a single, simplified device. Her 2021 paper on potentiometric e-skins for dual thermosensation and mechanosensation, also with 83 citations, further extended this framework toward practical applications in intelligent wearables. Across her body of work, Zhu consistently demonstrates a rare ability to translate biological inspiration into innovative engineering solutions, establishing her as a leading voice in next-generation sensory materials research.