New flexible skin helps robots to detect changes in shear force

Researchers have created a new form of flexible sensor skin that can be applied to prosthetic and robotic devices to help them grasp and manipulate objects.

Developed by the University of Washington and the University of California, Los Angeles, the stretchable electronic skin is made from silicone rubber embedded with tiny serpentine channels filled with electrically conductive liquid metal.

As the channel geometry changes in response to physical contact, the amount of electricity flowing through them is altered, giving an indication of the shear forces and vibrations that the robot finger is experiencing.

Recent experiments have shown that the skin can detect tiny vibrations at 800 times per second, which is better than human fingers. This allows prosthetics that utilise the skin to carry out tasks, such as handling delicate objects, more easily.

Senior author Jonathan Posner, a University of Washington professor of mechanical and chemical engineering, said: "By mimicking human physiology in a flexible electronic skin, we have achieved a level of sensitivity and precision that's consistent with human hands, which is an important breakthrough."

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