Smarter Skin Makes For A Smarter World

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have been researching the possibility of “smart skin” that will be able to sense touch comparable to the human fingertip. Through the use of bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, these researchers were able to create transistors that could directly convert mechanical motion into electrical signals. Not only would this be useful for humans who have lost their sense of touch, but also for robots; this skin could drastically increase the already-advanced level of machines. This project holds promise because of its unique tactic of using polarization charges that sense when particles are moved or put under strain. The proposed structure requires many differing materials such as tin oxide and gold; a thin layer of polymer Parylene is also used on top as a protective barrier.

This article initially caught my attention because it seemed so outlandish.  How could somebody take the screen of an iPhone or other smart device and turn it into a pliable skin-like substance? Our skin is built of layers upon layers of highly specialized and complex material that seems nearly impossible to replicate. The amount of factors that had to be considered by these Georgia Tech researchers is incredible, and I’m sure this technology will only continue to improve.

http://bioengineer.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=358:smart-skin-hope-for-touch-sensor&catid=89&Itemid=494