W. N. Lacey Lectureship in Chemical Engineering
Abstract: Skin-inspired electronics aim to replicate the sensing and signal processing functions of human skin for applications in robotics and healthcare. In this talk, I first discuss realizing electronic skin – an electronic sensing system that mimics the human sense of touch through distributed sensor arrays and biologically inspired signal encoding. We develop high-density tactile sensors capable of capturing pressure, temperature, and dynamic contact across large areas, enabling spatially resolved perception. Beyond signal acquisition, we implement spike-based encoding strategies that transform continuous tactile outputs into spike-train signals, allowing efficient transmission and processing of sensory information.
These electronic skin systems are applied to robotic platforms to enhance dexterous manipulation and provide rich tactile feedback. Building on this foundation, we extend the concept to fiber-based, implantable devices, termed "NeuroString," designed for minimally invasive interfacing with tissue. These platforms enable multiplexed sensing of physiological and chemical signals within the body. Together, this work outlines a pathway from biomimetic electronic skin to implantable bioelectronic systems, bridging external sensing and internal physiological monitoring for next-generation human–machine interfaces.
Bio: Bao is K.K. Lee Professor of Chemical Engineering, and by courtesy, Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University. Bao directs the Stanford Wearable Electronics Initiative (eWEAR). She served as the Department Chair of Chemical Engineering from 2018-2022 and 2025.
Prior to joining Stanford in 2004, she was a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies from 1995-2004. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1995.
Bao is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors. She a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Science.
Bao is known for her work on artificial electronic skin, which is enabling a new-generation of skin-like electronics for regaining sense of touch for neuro prosthetics, human-friendly robots, human-machine interface and seamless health monitoring devices. Bao has been named by Nature Magazine as a "Master of Materials". She is a recipient of the VinFuture Prize Female Innovator 2022, ACS Chemistry of Materials Award 2022, Gibbs Medal 2020, Wilhelm Exner Medal 2018, and L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award 2017.
Bao co-founded C3 Nano (acquired by Du Pont) and PyrAmes, which produced materials used in commercial smartphones and FDA-approved blood pressure monitors. Research inventions from her group have also been licensed as foundational technologies for multiple start-ups founded by her students.