Almost like the real thing
South Korean researchers develop ultra-sensitive ‘smart skin’ for prosthetics
Researchers at Seoul National University have succeeded in creating an elastic, electronic ‘smart skin’ that is highly sensitive to temperature, dampness, and pressure, in the hopes of developing a sense of touch for prosthetic limbs.
This new skin, embedded with ultrathin single crystalline silicon nanoribbon sensors, allows for faster response times than previously achieved with other prototypes. Stretchable platinum electrodes stimulate nerves to deliver a great range of data from the skin’s sensors to the brain.
By mapping a real hand’s movements, the skin has been carefully engineered to stretch and move just like how real skin would. More importantly, heating devices ensure that it is warm to the touch, replicating the temperature of real skin.
While there are still minor safety concerns, researchers say there is little doubt that the skin is more responsive, adaptable, and flexible than most others available.
"The prosthetic hand and laminated electronic skin could encounter many complex operations such as hand shaking, keyboard tapping, ball grasping, holding a cup of hot/cold drink, touching dry/wet surfaces and human-to-human contact," according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications.
"The feeling of artificial or prosthetic arms to other people who interact with the wearer of these devices is another important point to consider," study co-author Dae-Hyeong Kim, a biomedical engineer, told Discovery.com.
Further links:
Discovery.com
Cnet.com
Nature.com
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