Scientist develop artificial skin for robots which allow them to feel.

Robots have the power to surpass human capabilities in almost every field. Scientist have made incredible progress in AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology which enables a machine to perform tasks like humans on their own. And now, scientist have develop artificial skin which will help them to gain a sense of touch.

Robots are one step closer to gaining a human sense that has so far eluded them: Touch. In 2019, researchers introduced artificial skin developed by the Technical University of Munich. The artificial skin, made up of hexagon-shaped silicone cells about 1 inche in diameter, can detect contact, acceleration, proximity and temperature. Some claim that soon in some cases they will be able to feel pain. It is major step towards next generation robotics and prosthetic limbs. According to the scientist these artificial skin is as sensitive as the human skin.

Ali Javey, an associate professor of computer sciences at the university of California at Berkeley, who led one of the research teams made a prototype. It comprise of nanowires made of Germanium and Silicon rolled onto a sticky polymide film.

The team then laid nano-scale transistors on top, followed by a flexible, pressure- sensitive rubber. The prototype, measuring 49 square centimetres (7.6 square inches), can detect pressure ranging from 0 to 15 kilopadcals, comparable to the force used for such daily activities as typing on a keyboard or holding an object.

A different approach was taken by a team led by Zhenan Bao, a Chinese- born associate professor at Stanford University in California who has gained a reputation as one of the top women chemists in the United States.

Their approach was to use a rubber film that changes thickness due to pressure, and employ capacitors, integrated into the material, to measure the difference. It cannot be stretched, though.

"Our response time is comparable with human skin, it's very fast, within milliseconds, or thousands of a second," Bao told AFP. "That means in real terms that we can feel thepressure instantaneously."

Bao added important caveats about the challenges ahead. One is about improving the new sensors. They respond to constant pressure, whereas in human skin more complex sensations are possible. 

This is because the pressure-sensing cells int the skin can send different frequencies of signal -- for instance when we feel something painful or sharp, the frequency increases, alerting us to the threat.

In addition, Bao warned, "connecting the artificial skin with the human nerve system will be a very challenging task."

Ultimately, in the very distant future, we would like to make a skin which performs really like human skin and to be able to connect it to nerve cells on the arm and thus restore sensation.

"Initially, the prototype that we envision would be more like a handheld device, or maybe a device that connects to other parts of the body that have skin sensation."

"The device would generate a pulse that would stimulate other parts of the skin, giving the kind of signal 'my (artificial) hand is touching something', for instance."

ADVANTAGE OF ARTIFICIAL SKIN:

"Humans generally know how to hold a fragile egg without breaking it", said Ali Javey."If we ever wanted a robot that could unload the dishes, for instance, we'd want to make sure it doesn't the wine glasses in the process. But we'd also want the robot to grip the stock pot without dropping it."

Imagine, if scientist successfully invent an artificial skin which works completely like a human skin then the people who have lost the sense of touch somehow or those who need prosthetic organs will regain that sense of touch and can work in their day to day life without any problem.

John Yiannis Aloimonos, a professor with the University of Maryland's Department of Computer Science, said such artificial skin "enables robots to perceive their surroundings  much greater detail and with more sensitivity. This not only helps them to move safely but also makes them safer when operating near people and gives them the ability to anticipate and actively avoid accidents."

Researchers say skin is important because a robot needs to discern the unspoken communication that goes on among humans. mastering such nonverbal communications would be a quantum leap for robots. It can also be combined with other 'robotic senses', such as sight or hearing. Such milestones will take today's technology at a very different level