Researchers develop touch-sensitive artificial skin for robots
By siliconindia   |   Monday, 13 September 2010, 23:59 IST   |    6 Comments
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Researchers develop touch-sensitive artificial skin for robots
Bangalore: Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have successfully engineered electronic skin that can detect the gentlest of touch, which is considered to be a major step towards Gen-next robotics and prosthetics. The technology may help robots feel and give the sense of touch back to those with prosthetic limbs. Ali Javey, the lead researcher, an associate professor of computer sciences at the University of California, developed e-Skin together with his colleagues that comprises of matrix of nanowires made of germanium and silicon. A touch-sensitive artificial skin would help overcome a key challenge in robotics: adapting the amount of force needed to hold and manipulate a wide range of objects. This "e-skin" is also stronger than its competing organic materials. The synthetic skin can either be transferred to another material like a plastic or glass by either directly transferring it over from a flat substrate which is then 'rubbed' onto a polymer film made of polyamide. It can also be 'rolled' onto the surface using a device that works much like a lint roller in reverse; the fibers are deposited to a sticky surface rather than picked up. The e-skin can detect pressure ranging from 0-15 kilopascals which is similar to the pressure needed to perform daily activities."The idea is to have a material that functions like the human skin, which means incorporating the ability to feel and touch objects," Nature quoted Ali Javey as saying.

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