An artificial optoelectronic nociceptor based on In2S3 memristor

Nociceptors are an indispensable part of the human nervous system that can sense potential dangers from external environmental stimuli. The biomimetic studies of artificial nociceptors have inspired advanced technology in neuromorphic computing, humanoid robots and artificial visual sensors. In this work, we demonstrate an artificial optoelectronic nociceptor using the memristor of large-area In2S3 thin films. The nociceptor responds not only to electrical stimuli but also illumination of visual light, showing complete nociceptive behaviors of ‘threshold’, ‘inadaptation’, ‘relaxation’ and ‘sensitization’. The features of the sensory signal such as responding threshold, relaxation time and sensitivity can be tuned in controllable manner, by the strength and frequency of the external stimuli as well as the biasing of electrostatic gate. Such realization of sensory response to multiple external stimuli in the artificial perceptron demonstrates the feasibility of constructing advanced electronic receptor and artificial human eye.