A recent scientific study revealed a new type of artificial skin that is very sensitive, to the point that it not only feels direct pressure on it, but also when things approach it.
The study, published in the journal “Small” and prepared by researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, indicates that this artificial skin is “iontronic”, which means that it integrates ions and electrodes, to try to activate its sensation.
Specifically, the skin consists of a porous spongy layer soaked with a salty liquid sandwiched between two layers of electrodes embedded with nickel, and those raw components are low-cost and easily scalable, which makes this type of technology suitable for mass production, according to the researchers’ claims.
As a result of the skin’s unique design, when pressure is applied to it, its capacitance changes, resulting in an electrical signal.
Study author Yifan Wang, assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said: “We have made artificial skin with sensor capabilities that surpass human skin, and unlike human skin that senses most information from touch actions, this artificial skin also obtains rich cognitive information encoded.” Operations that do not witness touch or approach.
Wang also pointed out that the design of the invention also creates a “marginal electric field” around the edge of the skin, which helps it distinguish objects that approach it, whether it is plastic, metal or human skin.
Regarding the uses of the new artificial skin, the study authors indicated that it could be placed on the fingers of a robot, or on a control interface for an electronic game that uses the touch of a finger to move characters.
Scientists develop artificial skin that is “more sensitive” than human skin
