All-Flexible Artificial Reflex Arc Based on Threshold-Switching Memristor

The simulation of human feelings, perceptions, and actions has become an important application field for medical treatment, human–computer interfaces, and intelligent robots. However, the need for various functional units hinders system integration. A threshold-switching memristor is used as the sympathetic nerve center to simulate an unconditioned reflex. High current nonlinearity (10⁶) is achieved by adopting a nanocontact structure, and high flexibility (bending radius of ≈5 mm) is obtained by combining the structure with a flexible polymer film. Furthermore, integrating a flexible sensor and a flexible artificial muscle made of ionic polymer–metal composite allows to form an all-flexible complete reflex arc of an unconditioned reflex. The threshold-switching memristor can provide strain-dependent control through simple control logic, indicating the great potential of adopting threshold-switching memristors for primary neuromorphological control and flexible intelligent medical treatment.