A new robot skin sensor can make interactions realistic and safer. “Our sensor can sense different types of forces, allowing the prosthetic or robotic arm to respond quickly and accurately. For example, the arm can hold fragile objects like an egg or a cup of water without crushing or dropping them,” Mirza Saqib Sarwar, who He created the sensor as part of his doctoral thesis in electrical and computer engineering at the University of British Columbia.
Robot skin with feeling
the Sensor It consists primarily of silicone rubber, the same material used to create many special skin effects in movies. The unique design has the ability to buckle and wrinkle, just like human skin. The sensor uses weak electric fields to detect objects, even at a distance, just as touch screens do. But unlike touchscreens, this sensor is flexible and can detect forces on and along a surface.
The researchers say the new sensor is easy to make, meaning it can be easily scaled to cover large areas and can be mass-produced. The University of British Columbia team developed this technology in collaboration with the Frontier Robotics Honda Research Institute. Honda has been innovating in the field of humanoid robotics since the 1980s and developed the ASIMO robot. It has also developed walking aids and the upcoming Honda Avatar robot.
Sweaty faux leather
Human skin is increasingly faithfully reconfigured to perform different functions. Last year, artificial skin was developed that can sweat on demand. A multidisciplinary team from Danging Liu developed the artificial skin so that the robots can cool better. Just like with people. Moreover, it seems more humane and wounds can be treated by giving medicine to humans with artificial skin.
