Our skin is our largest organ, the true map of our senses, emotions and perceptions. Perhaps that’s why it’s strange and perplexing to think of robots as entities with skin. The image of Arnold Schwarzenegger, with organic skin covering a metallic endoskeleton, is deeply ingrained in our collective psyche as a product of science and his fiction. But the latest advances in robotics are pushing us in that direction. Of course, we’re not talking about living tissue similar to Ernie’s skin serving as the Terminator. New technology isn’t designed to allow robots to anonymously blend in with the population. increase.
Sometimes the biggest challenges in robotics are seemingly small. For example, a robot that climbs stairs. In the same way, there are many robots that can lift heavy payloads, but very few that can handle eggs without messing things up. Detecting is a fundamental requirement for safe handling of everyday objects. This is the main purpose of the prototype jointly developed by the University of Washington and UCLA. Sensors and Actuators A: Physics scientific journals. The biggest advantage of this technology is that it can be extended to any part of the robot’s body.Can also be used for human prostheses.
Technology that integrates all the nuances of touch
Inspired by its human counterpart, this synthetic skin can measure changes in pressure and texture on objects. “Traditionally, tactile sensor design has focused on sensing individual modalities such as normal force, shear force, or vibration. The fact that our latest skin prototype incorporates all three modalities opens up many new possibilities for machine learning-based approaches to improve robot functionality. co-author and robotics collaborator, Veronica Santos, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCLA. Areas such as explosive ordnance disposal and advanced surgery could greatly benefit from this technology..
The prototype Santos mentioned was manufactured at UW’s Washington Nanofabrication facility. A sensor that functions like a human finger and measures shear force is physically placed where the nail bed is. The main material used for the prototype is the same rubber used for the goggles, but with a little twist. A network of serpentine-shaped microfluidic channels about half the width of a human hair is embedded in the fabric. They are filled with a conductive liquid metal and, unlike metal wires, bend rather than crack, offering much better flexibility and resilience. When the “skin” contacts the surface, the channel compresses under pressure and becomes less conductive. These variations are translated as vibration or shear force data.
Researchers have proven that the new skin allows the robot to open doors, play jazz instruments, operate smartphones, shake hands and pick up parcels. In fact, it can record small vibrations at a rate of 800 times per second, which exceeds human perception. Add in the machine learning capabilities of AI, and it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine a future with robotic guitar virtuosos and skilled surgeons.
sauce: University of Washington
