Ullah Aziz, Kim Do Youn, Lim Sung In, Lim Hyo-Ryoung
Major of Human Bioconvergence, Division of Smart Healthcare, College of Information Technology and Convergence, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea.
Gels. 2025 Mar 23;11(4):232. doi: 10.3390/gels11040232.
Human-machine interfacing (HMI) has emerged as a critical technology in healthcare, robotics, and wearable electronics, with hydrogels offering unique advantages as multifunctional materials that seamlessly connect biological systems with electronic devices. This review provides a detailed examination of recent advancements in hydrogel design, focusing on their properties and potential applications in HMI. We explore the key characteristics such as biocompatibility, mechanical flexibility, and responsiveness, which are essential for effective and long-term integration with biological tissues. Additionally, we highlight innovations in conductive hydrogels, hybrid and composite materials, and fabrication techniques such as 3D/4D printing, which allow for the customization of hydrogel properties to meet the demands of specific HMI applications. Further, we discuss the diverse classes of polymers that contribute to hydrogel conductivity, including conducting, natural, synthetic, and hybrid polymers, emphasizing their role in enhancing electrical performance and mechanical adaptability. In addition to material design, we examine the regulatory landscape governing hydrogel-based biointerfaces for HMI applications, addressing the key considerations for clinical translation and commercialization. An analysis of the patent landscape provides insights into emerging trends and innovations shaping the future of hydrogel technologies in human-machine interactions. The review also covers a range of applications, including wearable electronics, neural interfaces, soft robotics, and haptic systems, where hydrogels play a transformative role in enhancing human-machine interactions. Thereafter, the review addresses the challenges hydrogels face in HMI applications, including issues related to stability, biocompatibility, and scalability, while offering future perspectives on the continued evolution of hydrogel-based systems for HMI technologies.
人机交互（HMI）已成为医疗保健、机器人技术和可穿戴电子设备中的一项关键技术，水凝胶作为多功能材料具有独特优势，能够将生物系统与电子设备无缝连接。本综述详细考察了水凝胶设计的最新进展，重点关注其特性以及在人机交互中的潜在应用。我们探讨了生物相容性、机械柔韧性和响应性等关键特性，这些特性对于与生物组织进行有效且长期的整合至关重要。此外，我们还强调了导电水凝胶、混合材料和复合材料以及3D/4D打印等制造技术方面的创新，这些创新使得能够定制水凝胶特性以满足特定人机交互应用的需求。进一步地，我们讨论了有助于水凝胶导电性的各类聚合物，包括导电聚合物、天然聚合物、合成聚合物和混合聚合物，强调它们在提高电性能和机械适应性方面的作用。除了材料设计，我们还研究了用于人机交互应用的基于水凝胶的生物界面的监管环境，阐述了临床转化和商业化的关键考虑因素。对专利情况分析提供了有关塑造人机交互中水凝胶技术未来的新兴趋势和创新的见解。该综述还涵盖了一系列应用，包括可穿戴电子设备、神经接口、软体机器人和触觉系统，其中水凝胶在增强人机交互方面发挥着变革性作用。此后，该综述探讨了水凝胶在人机交互应用中面临的挑战，包括与稳定性、生物相容性和可扩展性相关的问题，同时对基于水凝胶的人机交互技术系统的持续发展提供了未来展望。
