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'Smart skin' hope for touch sensor | 'Smart skin' hope for touch sensor |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Scientists have made a step forward in their ability to mimic the sense of touch. | Scientists have made a step forward in their ability to mimic the sense of touch. |
A team from the US and China made an experimental array that can sense pressure in the same range as the human fingertip. | A team from the US and China made an experimental array that can sense pressure in the same range as the human fingertip. |
The advance could speed the development of smarter artificial skin capable of "feeling" activity on the surface. | The advance could speed the development of smarter artificial skin capable of "feeling" activity on the surface. |
The sensors, which are described in Science magazine, could also help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch. | The sensors, which are described in Science magazine, could also help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch. |
Using bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, the researchers built arrays consisting of about 8,000 transistors. | Using bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, the researchers built arrays consisting of about 8,000 transistors. |
Each of the transistors can independently produce an electronic signal when placed under mechanical strain. | Each of the transistors can independently produce an electronic signal when placed under mechanical strain. |
The touch-sensitive transistors - dubbed taxels - have a sensitivity comparable to that of a human fingertip. | The touch-sensitive transistors - dubbed taxels - have a sensitivity comparable to that of a human fingertip. |
"Any mechanical motion, such as the movement of arms or the fingers of a robot, could be translated to control signals," said Zhong Lin Wang, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. | "Any mechanical motion, such as the movement of arms or the fingers of a robot, could be translated to control signals," said Zhong Lin Wang, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. |
"This could make artificial skin smarter and more like the human skin. It would allow the skin to feel activity on the surface." | "This could make artificial skin smarter and more like the human skin. It would allow the skin to feel activity on the surface." |
Mimicking the sense of touch electronically has been challenging, and can be achieved by measuring changes in resistance prompted by mechanical touch. | Mimicking the sense of touch electronically has been challenging, and can be achieved by measuring changes in resistance prompted by mechanical touch. |
The devices developed by the Georgia Tech researchers rely on a different physical phenomenon - tiny polarisation changes when so-called "piezoelectric" materials such as zinc oxide are moved or placed under strain. | |
Piezoelectricity essentially refers to current that accumulates in certain solids in response to applied mechanical stress. | Piezoelectricity essentially refers to current that accumulates in certain solids in response to applied mechanical stress. |
In the "iezotronic transistors, the piezoelectric charges control the flow of current through the wires. | In the "iezotronic transistors, the piezoelectric charges control the flow of current through the wires. |
The technique only works in materials that have both piezoelectric and semiconducting properties. These properties are seen in nanowires and certain thin films. | The technique only works in materials that have both piezoelectric and semiconducting properties. These properties are seen in nanowires and certain thin films. |
"This is a fundamentally new technology that allows us to control electronic devices directly using mechanical agitation," Prof Wang added. | "This is a fundamentally new technology that allows us to control electronic devices directly using mechanical agitation," Prof Wang added. |
"This could be used in a broad range of areas, including robotics, (very small devices known as MEMS), human-computer interfaces and other areas that involve mechanical deformation." | "This could be used in a broad range of areas, including robotics, (very small devices known as MEMS), human-computer interfaces and other areas that involve mechanical deformation." |
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