Researchers have developed an artificial electronic skin (e-skin) capable of converting sensory inputs into electrical signals that the brain can interpret. This skin-like material incorporates soft integrated circuits and boasts a variety of sensory abilities, including temperature and pressure detection. This advance could facilitate the creation of prosthetic limbs with sensory feedback or advanced medical devices.
Scientists have developed an extraordinary breakthrough in the field of prosthetics: an electronic skin that establishes a direct connection with the brain, enabling amputees to experience a human-like sense of touch through their artificial limbs. This ground-breaking technology, known as a monolithic e-skin, contains embedded sensors that convert temperature, pressure, and strain into electrical signals, akin to how our nerves communicate with the brain. Stanford University researchers, who detailed their innovation in the journal Science, are optimistic that this next-generation electronic skin could also facilitate remote control of robotic limbs while providing the ability to feel objects and sensations. Overcoming the challenge of integrating complex skin-like electronic materials, the prototype e-skin, with the thickness of a paper sheet, successfully combines desired electrical and mechanical features of human skin. The team’s future plans involve enhancing scalability and developing an implantable chip for wireless communication through the peripheral nerve network. Electronic skin research holds promising implications not only for prosthetics but also for robotics, offering sensory feedback and physical self-awareness. Other recent studies in the field have explored the detection of toxic chemicals and pollutants through artificial skin, showcasing the vast potential of this technology in various domains.
Source Yahoo News
