Scientists have developed a soft artificial skin that provides haptic feedback. Additionally, you can also use these to help virtual reality users feel their surroundings. The new invention consists of silicone and electrodes. Thanks to a sophisticated self-recognition mechanism, the artificial skin can also immediately adapt to the wearer's movements. Read on here to find out more interesting facts about the revolutionary novelty.
Innovative technology for artificial skin
Scientists at RRL (Reconfigurable Robotics Lab) developed the technology, which uses a system of soft sensors and actuators. This allows the gadget to conform to the exact shape of a wearer's wrist. This means it can provide haptic feedback in the form of pressure and vibrations. Strain sensors also measure the deformation of the skin, so you canReal-time feedbackcan adapt.
In this way you can get increate a sense of touch that is as realistic as possible. Soft pneumatic actuators continue to form part of the membrane layer and can be inflated when air is pumped into them. The layer of sensors contains the soft electrodes in the artificial skin haptic technology, which measures any deformation of the skin and then transmits this data to the microcontroller.
The haptic artificial skin can stretch up to four times longer than originally for up to a million cycles. Scientists are still developing the technology further, but have already tested it on various users. According to a press release, it could be used for various wearable applications. For example, doctors can monitor a patient's proprioception formedical purposesthe test.
This is the first time that scientists have developed a completely soft artificial skin that integrates both sensors and actuators. This is what it says in a statement by the scientist at EPFL and lead author of the study. This gives science the opportunity to control the control loop. This means developers can accurately and reliably modulate the vibration stimulation experienced by the user. This fact makes the artificial skin ideal for wearable applications.
