Scientists from the Laboratory of Materials Science and Engineering of the National University of Singapore have developed a foamed material that allows robots to sense objects and can independently recover from damage like human skin.
The material, called AiFoam, is a highly elastic polymer created by mixing a fluoropolymer with a composition that reduces surface tension. When cut, it is easily reattached into a whole piece.
To reproduce the human sense of touch, the researchers filled the material with microscopic metal particles and added tiny electrodes under the layer of material. When pressure is applied, metal particles in the polymer matrix approach, changing its electrical properties. These changes can be detected using electrodes connected to a computer.
The described structure allows the robot arm to determine not only the magnitude, but also the direction of the applied force. In addition ,the "skin" can sense not only touches, but also the approach of objects by perturbations introduced by their electric field.
The development took more than two years. The project participants hope to introduce the material for practical use within five years. For example, for more advanced prostheses.