Electronic skin with artificial bristles developed for better perception of touch

Skin plays an important role in humans’ perception of touch. The hairs on the skin help to detect even the smallest sense of touch, as well as define the direction of contact. A newly developed electronic skin can detect this sensitivity with its integrated artificial hairs.

Electronic skin with artificial hairs

Researchers at Chemnitz University of Technology and Leibniz IFW Dresden have developed a precision electronic skin with integrated artificial hairs. The team states that this structure, which is important for the sense of touch but has not been applied in electronic skins until now, has a critical role.

To improve their product, the researchers placed tiny, magnetic bristles in an elastomeric material in which the sensors were embedded. Artificial hairs, like natural hairs, have roots under the electronic skin, each of which is surrounded by 3D magnetic sensors that allow the exact location of the root to be monitored in real time, allowing the direction of the touch to be recorded across the e-skin.

Christian Becker, one of the authors of the study: “Our approach allows a precise spatial arrangement of functional sensor elements in 3D that can be mass-produced in a parallel manufacturing process. Such sensor systems are built into It is extremely difficult to create with microelectronic manufacturing methods.” said.