A recent article from The Korea Bizwire, discussed the latest development in the ongoing quest to create human-like robots. A team of researchers from the Pohang University of Science and Technology and the University of Ulsan have created an e-skin that mimics the tactile sense of human fingers. It consists of an elastic high polymer thin film and features tiny wrinkles, much like a human fingerprint. The interior contains a network of nanowires made of silver and zinc oxide that make the substance multisensory and elastic.
The most impressive feature of the e-skin is that it can distinguish between materials by analyzing the electronic signals created when an object is rubbed. So far, it has successfully distinguished between natural substances, ceramic, metal, and synthetic high polymers.
