AsianScientist (May 10, 2017) – Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a tactile sensor that can act as a skin for robots. Their study, published in Scientific Reports, showed how the sensor can absorb shock and distinguish various forms of touch.
Skin is the largest organ of the human body. Apart from protecting major organs from external shock, skin also detects delicate tactile information and transfers it to the nervous system.
Current robotic sensory technology allows robots to have visual and auditory systems at levels similar to human capacity, but there are limitations in tactile sensors that can detect changes in the environment throughout the body. To give robots human-like skin, it is essential to develop skin sensor technology with high flexibility and high shock absorption. Another challenge to developing robot skin was connecting numerous sensors all over the body using electric wiring.
To overcome this problem, the research team combined silicon and carbon nanotubes to produce a composite, which was then used in combination with a medical imaging technique called electrical impedance tomography. This led to technology that can distinguish various forms of force over a large area without electrical wiring.
The sensing material can distinguish the location and the size of various forms by touch and withstand strong forces such as a hammer strike. It also can be re-used even after partial damage by filling and hardening the damaged region with composite. Furthermore, the sensor can be made by simply filling a 3D shape frame with the silicon-carbon nanotube composite, allowing both curved and flat computer interfaces.
“Flexible tactile sensors can not only be directly adhered to the body, but they also provide information on modified states in multiple dimensions,” said Kim. “This technology will contribute to the soft robot industry in the areas of robot skin and the field of wearable medical appliances.”
“This technology implemented a next-generation user interface through the integration of functional nano-composite material and computer tomography,” added Park.
The article can be found at: Lee et al. (2017) Soft Nanocomposite Based Multi-point, Multi-directional Strain Mapping Sensor Using Anisotropic Electrical Impedance Tomography.
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Source: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
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