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Artificial Skin Can Sense 1,000 Times Faster Than Human Nerves


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A robot hand models the artificial skin.

Artificial skin developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore contains sensors that can detect pressure, bending, and temperature.

Credit: Benjamin C.K. Tee/National University Of Singapore

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed artificial skin containing physical sensors that can detect pressure, bending, and temperature.

Made from rubber and plastic composite material, the artificial skin could help people better use their prosthetic limbs, or enable robots to sense their surroundings.

The 1 mm square sensors transmit electrical pulses back to a receiver. With each sensor having a unique pulse to make it identifiable, multiple signals can be combined through the single receiver to speed up delivery.

These sensors send signals at a maximum frequency of 9 Mhz, or 9 million times per second, compared to less than 1 kHz, or 1,000 times per second, for the "sensors" in human skin.

From New Scientist
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Abstracts Copyright © 2019 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA


 

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