UK-based researchers have created a special type of synthetic skin that could actually feel the pain. While this invention has no organic receptors for pain, it's as sensitive as the typical human skin.

According to the researchers, this electronic skin can respond to stimuli with the help of robotics and prosthetics.

Electronic Skin is Capable of Feeling Pain

(Photo : ThisisEngineering RAEng from Unsplash)
Researchers from the UK have developed a unique artificial skin or electronic skin that can feel pain like a usual human part.

The usual human skin is so sensitive that when you feel hot water, you will immediately react to it. This is where the concept of pain enters, and it's essential to warn your body that there's an incoming threat.

According to Business Insider's report, the University of Glasgow researchers have come up with the idea of making a printed, electronic skin that can feel the pain.

The team, which Indian Professor Ravinder Dahiya spearheads, published their study entitled "Printed Synaptic Transistors based Electronic Skin for Robots to Feel and Learn" on Science Robotics.

It's indeed a fascinating invention in the field of robotics since researchers can create flexible technology. The Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) team of Glasglow has been exploring potential techniques on how to incorporate sensitivity to a mechanical component.

The researchers said that upon contact, the pressure sensors of the e-skin will be activated. The data processing is done by sending the information from the sensors to the computer.

Processing a huge chunk of information usually requires a long time. This is the reason why an electronic skin perceives a delayed response.

To solve the issue, the Glasgow researchers made a next-gen artificial skin that's not based on the typical nervous system of humans. Upon receiving an input, the data will be immediately processed upon contact. Thus, the brain will only receive the most important information.

Dahiya and his team used 168 synaptic transistors that were placed on top of the electronic skin. These transistors are connected to the skin sensors on the robotic hand.

Related Article: Samsung's Expandable Electronic Skin Has a Built-in Heart Rate Monitor That Could Stretch for Up to 1000 Times

The Use of Electronic Skin

The same report from Business Insider reveals that synthetic skin has another purpose. For instance, the researchers from the University of Utah created the LUKE arm, a prosthetic human-like arm that can feel a human touch.

The scientists said that this robotic arm relies on microelectrodes to establish communication when it is linked to a computer. As of writing, it can only maneuver in limited directors since it has only a few touch sensors.

Merging the e-skin into the LUKE arm can spell a difference in the field of science. It could potentially be beneficial in other sectors, especially in the health sector.

Meanwhile, TechXplore reported that another team of researchers had developed a new printing method for prosthetic skin which contains heat sensors. According to the group, the new invention features more flexibility. It even has lower capabilities than the usual silicon chips.

Marco Fattori, one of the authors of the research, said that his team collaborated with other researchers from around the world to bring an enhanced version of the artificial skin.

To view the study with the title "A printed proximity-sensing surface based on organic pyroelectric sensors and organic thin-film transistor electronics," visit Nature.com for more details.

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Written by Joseph Henry