Robotics Researchers from the University of California at Berkeley have successfully developed an artificial skin that can sense different levels of pressure, granting it a primitive sense of touch. Right now, the electronic skin can sense pressure up to 15 kilopascals, which basically means that it can sense varying pressures of small, handheld objects. Depending on the pressure encountered, the skin will expand or contract. A robot outfitted with this skin would then be able to adjust its grip on different objects based on their weight and density. Fragile objects would be handled with care, and heavy objects would be gripped with appropriate force.
For advances in robotics technology, the sky is the limit for this artificial skin. According to the researchers, once pressure sensitivity has been perfected, other sensations like pain, heat, or even radioactivity could soon follow, at some point probably exceeding the capabilities of human skin. Robots could be used in quarantine zones for diseases, or in radioactive test sites, to safely conduct work that could be hazardous or lethal to humans. Of course, it also opens up the old science fiction vision of the robot house servant that washes the dishes, dusts the furniture and cleans the bathroom. The end of dirty work could be coming soon (of course, by soon, I mean the two or three decades it would take for this technology to be perfected and made applicable). Regardless of the time it takes this advance to give us our robot maids, there are some great uses that this skin could be put to in the near future.
Artificial skin that has the sense of touch could be revolutionary in the field of prosthetics. Before this discovery, a mechanical arm would be largely useless in practical human settings. Lacking a sense of touch, the person would literally not know their own strength, which would result in a lot of broken items scattered around the house and nothing but a firestorm of frustration to show for it. Now, mechanical limbs could have the ability to feel whether or not an object is fragile, and adjust accordingly.
Someday, this skin could even be used as a substitute for human skin on human limbs, for people with diseases or who have had accidents that have caused them to lose feeling in parts of their bodies. Again, this particular application is still some years away, as it is not yet known how to attach artificial receptors to human nerves. The possibility, however, remains, and will no doubt be a lucrative draw for many ambitious researchers.
The power of technology never ceases to amaze. Today, we’re one step closer to helping the disabled to walk again, and helping those who need prosthetics live the full, healthy lives they deserve. Who knows, we might even get some robot servants along the way (hopefully minus the violent uprising and subjugation of the human race). Perhaps there might even be some implants possible to make the ultimate virtual reality gaming experience. This is definitely a story worth keeping an eye on in the future.
