The Rise of the Robots
We humans (At least I think that we all are) pride ourselves on having things that robots can supposedly never accomplish or obtain in our lifetime. Among these are touch, emotion, taste, and many others. The time has come for us to cross off 'touch' on that list. New scientists from the University of Minnesota have engineered a 3D "skin" that would have fabric embedded with electronic sensors that would be arranged similar to our own nervous system.
The engineers have created a unique printer. It consists of 4 nozzles all with their own "ink". This ink layers up to form electrode parts, the base consisting of silicone. The top and bottom electrodes contain electric conductive "ink". There is also a coil - shaped pressure sensor and an exterior layer that holds everything in place. This layer is washed away during the final stages of manufacturing. These 3D printed sensors are a perfect match for robot skin. They are able to stretch up to 3 times their original size and return to their pre - stretched state without any trouble.
“This stretchable electronic fabric we developed has many practical uses,” commented Michael McAlpine, a University of Minnesota mechanical engineering associate professor and lead researcher on the project. "“Putting this type of ‘bionic skin’ on surgical robots would give surgeons the ability to actually feel during minimally invasive surgeries, which would make surgery easier instead of just using cameras like they do now. These sensors could also make it easier for other robots to walk and interact with their environment.” remarked McAlpine when further questioned on the subject.
For more information on the subject, visit this link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201701218/full
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| A model of what the touch sensors would look like on a human hand. |
The engineers have created a unique printer. It consists of 4 nozzles all with their own "ink". This ink layers up to form electrode parts, the base consisting of silicone. The top and bottom electrodes contain electric conductive "ink". There is also a coil - shaped pressure sensor and an exterior layer that holds everything in place. This layer is washed away during the final stages of manufacturing. These 3D printed sensors are a perfect match for robot skin. They are able to stretch up to 3 times their original size and return to their pre - stretched state without any trouble.
“This stretchable electronic fabric we developed has many practical uses,” commented Michael McAlpine, a University of Minnesota mechanical engineering associate professor and lead researcher on the project. "“Putting this type of ‘bionic skin’ on surgical robots would give surgeons the ability to actually feel during minimally invasive surgeries, which would make surgery easier instead of just using cameras like they do now. These sensors could also make it easier for other robots to walk and interact with their environment.” remarked McAlpine when further questioned on the subject.
For more information on the subject, visit this link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201701218/full
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