WASHINGTON: New research on an artificial skin that can feel things could mean positive changes for the many people around the world living with prosthetics. Zhenan Bao of Stanford University in California has developed a skin-like “mechanoreceptors” integrated with “organic transistor circuit” that transforms pressure into digital signals sent directly to the brain. Scientists showed that the plastic material not only detects pressure but can transmit signals to nerve cells in a laboratory dish.
The top layer creates a sensing mechanism, while the bottom layer transmits electrical signals into biochemical stimuli for nerve cells to receive. The design is able to imitate the human skin’s sense of touch, a characteristic that distinguishes a light finger tap from a firm grip. “So you could mount a sensor on your skin and use it to detect vital signs like heartbeat and blood pressure”.
But after cycling through many different materials, the team settled on carbon nanotubes molded into pyramidal microstructures as it seemed to be responsive to the broadest range of pressures. When the researchers measured the responses of individual neurons within the brain slice, they found that it correlated perfectly with the pulses produced by the artificial skinlike material-up to 200 beats per second. This renders the plastics the capability to conduct electricity as the nanotubes come closer together when pressure is applied.
This company helped them use technology similar to that used in inkjet printers to deposit the flexible circuits onto a plastic substrate.
Tesla driverless system to use updated radar technology
WASHINGTON: Electric carmaker Tesla announced Sunday it was upgrading its Autopilot software to use more advanced radar technology. In a...
