Feeling temperature and touch: The range of receptors in our skin make it possible to sense when we are touching an object and also gives us a general sense of the temperature of that object. Achieving this in an artificial skin-like material has been a challenge because most of the approaches for sensing touch are themselves temperature sensitive. You et al. studied the ion relaxation dynamics in a conductive elastomeric film (see the Perspective by Liu). They show that the ion relaxation time can be used as a strain-insensitive intrinsic variable for detecting temperature and the capacitance can be used as a temperature-insensitive extrinsic variable for sensing the strain, thus decoupling the two so that their signals do not interfere with each other. Science , this issue p. 961 ; see also p. 910

Recent materials, microfabrication, and biotechnology improvements have introduced numerous exciting bioelectronic devices based on piezoelectric materials. There is an intriguing evolution from conventional unrecyclable materials to biodegradable, green, and biocompatible functional materials. As a fundamental electromechanical coupling material in numerous applications, novel piezoelectric materials with a feature of degradability and desired electrical and mechanical properties are being developed for future wearable and implantable bioelectronics. These bioelectronics can be easily integrated with biological systems for applications, including sensing physiological signals, diagnosing medical problems, opening the blood‐brain barrier, and stimulating healing or tissue growth. Therefore, the generation of piezoelectricity from natural and synthetic bioresorbable polymers has drawn great attention in the research field. Herein, the significant and recent advancements in biodegradable piezoelectric materials, including natural and synthetic polymers, their principles, advanced applications, and challenges for medical uses, are reviewed thoroughly. The degradation methods of these piezoelectric materials through in vitro and in vivo studies are also investigated. These improvements in biodegradable piezoelectric materials and microsystems could enable new applications in the biomedical field. In the end, potential research opportunities regarding the practical applications are pointed out that might be significant for new materials research.

Recent progress in flexible sensors and piezoelectric materials has enabled the development of continuous monitoring systems for human physiological signals as wearable and implantable medical devices. However, their non‐degradable characteristics also lead to the generation of a significant amount of non‐decomposable electronic waste (e‐waste) and necessitate a secondary surgery for implant removal. Herein, a flexible and biodegradable piezoelectric material for wearable and implantable devices that addresses the problem of secondary surgery and e‐waste while providing a high‐performance platform for continuous and seamless monitoring of human physiological signals and tactile stimuli is provided. The novel composition of bioresorbable poly(l‐lactide) and glycine leads to flexible piezoelectric devices for non‐invasive measurement of artery pulse signals in near‐surface arteries and slight movement of the muscle, including the trachea, esophagus, and movements of joints. The complete degradability of piezoelectric film in phosphate‐buffered saline at 37 °C is also shown. The developed pressure sensor exhibits high sensitivity of 13.2 mV kPa⁻¹ with a response time of 10 ms and shows good mechanical stability. This piezoelectric material has comparable performance to commonly used non‐degradable piezoelectric materials for measuring physiological signals. It can also be used in temporary implantable medical devices for monitoring due to its degradable nature.