Soft Artificial Skin with Flexible Sensors | R3 Roboy's Research Reviews #8

In this video, we discuss the papers “Design and Fabrication of Soft Artificial Skin Using Embedded Microchannels and Liquid Conductors” by Yong-Lae Park, Bor-Rong Chen, and Robert J. Wood, 2012 and "Stretchable Capacitive Sensors of Torsion, Strain, and Touch Using Double Helix Liquid Metal Fibers" by C. B. Cooper, K. Artuselvan, Y. Liu et al., 2017

Can we build robots with a sense of touch? Can we wrap robots in skin as stretchable and flexible as a human’s, to protect their innards? In this video, we investigate a technique to embed haptic sensors into artificial skin in a way that allows it to detect pressure, while maintaining its flexibility. In this paper, we review the use of liquid conductors embedded in robot skin to use as haptic sensors.

Note: We are reviewing this paper, and we were not part of the research or the team which authored this paper.

This is an initiative of Roboy.

Papers:

Video sources:

[classic_sci_fi]

Very cool! Robots will definitely need an 'artificial skin' with widely distributed sensors for stress, heat, cold, pressure, etc.. to be practical. If not everywhere, definitely in hands or for 'soft robotic' muscles.

[Thepeanutgallery]

I love this. And I love the advancement of robotics. I would love to work in this field, however, I don't have an education level that would permit such a thing. However, I am happy to offer questions when they are called for. My question for today in pertaining to human like skin and this video. It has puzzled me for some time now as to why people believe that skin is so flexible as far as elasticity is concerned. If you pinch the back of your hand, and try tugging on your skin, you will find that it is not very elastic at all. What human skin is is pliable. But as far as elasticity is concerned, human skin is mildly flexible, but is capable of micro folding. I think that is probably one of our biggest setbacks in convincing humanoid robotics. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, it's also one of the most difficult organs on the human body to replicate because of these features and its regenerative properties. However, I love how far we've come, or rather how far science has come in skim sensor technology. And I of course applaud every advancement that I hear about. Thank you for reading.