Pressure-sensing artificial skin ‘can communicate with brain’

A new plastic skin-like material has demonstrated the ability to detect pressure and send the information to the brain.

Developed by Stanford University engineers, the material is the result of a decade's work to create an artificial skin that mimics the ability to flex and heal, while also serving as a sensor net that can send touch, temperature and pain signals to the brain.

It features a two-ply plastic structure, with the top layer creating a sensing mechanism and the bottom layer acting as the circuit to transport electrical signals and translate them into biochemical stimuli compatible with nerve cells.

The material can detect pressure over the same range as human skin, from a light finger tap to a firm handshake, and deliver a Morse code-like signal directly to a living brain cell.

Stanford chemical engineering Professor Zhenan Bao said: "We have a lot of work to take this from experimental to practical applications. But after spending many years in this work, I now see a clear path where we can take our artificial skin."

There are six types of biological sensing mechanisms in the human hand, and this experimental material is only able to replicate one of them, but it is thought the method could lead to the creation of improved prosthetics in future.