S. Korean scientists develop robot skin that senses tactile stimuli, self heals

A research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed a robot skin that can sense external tactile stimuli and recover from injury when damaged.

The newly developed robot skin can sense pressure and vibration in real time with a small number of measuring elements by mimicking the structure of human skin and the properties and composition of tactile receptors.

By processing measured tactile signals through an artificial intelligence (AI)-based neural network, it can also classify the types of tactile stimuli such as pressing, tapping, and patting.

The robot skin, made of soft materials such as hydrogel and silicone, can absorb shock and easily recover structure and function even when it is torn or cut deeply by a sharp object.

The research team expects the robot skin to be used for restaurant serving robots and human-type robots that interact with humans because it can provide accurate tactile sensation over a large area and have material properties and textures that are similar to human skin.

When used on a prosthetic hand or leg, the robot skin can mimic the appearance and feel of real skin.