US scientists have developed a new technology to manufacture “electronic skin” , that is, an artificial coating that simulates human touch and whose application will multiply the functions of robots and contribute to the creation of a new generation of prostheses , according to the journal Nature Materials .
While sight and voice are highly advanced in robotics, the sense of touch is still very rudimentary. However, independent testing by two teams of American researchers, one led by Ali Javey, University of California, and another led by Zhenan Bao, Princeton University, could soon change the situation thanks to a thin composite sheet. made of silicon nano-strips and covered with small sensors the size of a pixel , which its authors have dubbed e-skin .
The new electronic skin will be able to detect changes in temperature and pressure , both slight and intense, since it only needs five volts to operate. The researchers hope that the invention will allow the robots of the future to be able to handle objects with more precision, as well as to use the material in revolutionary bionic prosthetics. Among the possible applications of e-skin there are also proposals such as an electronic mat that could recognize the footprints of the inhabitants of the house, or a covered car seat that determines the physical conditions of the driver.
