Human skin is hard to copy because it is flexible, sensitive and able to heal. New research is starting to give robot skin those traits.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow used graphene to build an electronic skin more sensitive to touch than a human hand.
Professor Ravinder Dahiya described it as a tactile sensor that could lead to lighter prosthetics and to robots whose surface feels softer and more natural. It is also a step toward softer robots and more sensitive touchscreens.
The low-power skin is a single atomic layer of graphene and uses about 20 nanowatts per square centimeter, comparable to the lowest-power photovoltaic cells available. The energy it generates cannot yet be stored. The team is looking at ways to move unused energy into a battery.
Graphene is among the thinnest, strongest and most conductive materials known, and it is promising in physics, materials and electronics. A single layer absorbs only about 2.3% of visible and near-infrared light, which is why it can sit on a sensor without blocking it.
