Tactile and self-healing ro'∏bot is becoming a reality
Time:2018-01-06
Views:500
Human skin is difficult to d₽ ≠βuplicate because it is not only flex>'ible, tactile and self he↑®✔aling. However, the lat↔×δ>est discoveries by scientists are givin ®¥☆g such characteristics to robotic skin Ω.
Do you think only the ★ life of the skin is flex↕₽'ible and compressive, ≈₽✘ tactile, self-healing? ★✔✔Recent research shows that r↔₽✘obotic skin can and may §πeven perform better than human skin.
Researchers at the Unive €$←rsity of Glasgow in the☆ ♥ UK used graphene to♣>↑α develop an electronic robot skin↔≤• that is more tactile than≤↓£≠ human hands.
According to foreign∞→§ media reports, Glasgow University p<¶rofessor Ravinder Dah"δiya said the newly developed robot skin★₽σ is essentially a tactile sensor t≥±hat scientists will use to create₽' more lightweight prostheses σ↔and softer, more natural-☆✔±looking robots on the surfac®☆→e.
This sensor is also the first st→δep toward softer robots '©σ↑and more sensitive tou≠★ch screen sensors.
This low-power smart robot skε↑ε¥in is made of a layer of mon£≈atomic layer graphene≠♦$←. The power per square centim♦φ≈eter of skin is 20 nanoWatt, w✔π•hich is equivalent to the lowest q→←¶±uality photovoltaic cell available at t☆ε¥he moment. While the skin •§‘s photovoltaic cel✘←ls can not store the e>↓÷nergy they generate, engineer₹♦ing teams are exploriφ∏↑∏ng ways to transfer unused e€→φ☆nergy to the battery ¶λfor use when needed.
Graphene is a new type of nanoma ₹βterial found to be the thinnest, the l←$∏argest in strength and the most conduc♠✔•☆tive and thermally conductive. Du×∑e to its good strength, flexibil≈♠≥"ity, electrical conductivity and ♦εother characteristics, it has↕±<δ great potential in the fields of ☆♦physics, materials sφσcience and electronic informatio♣δ§φn.
In terms of optical properties, so >→me studies have shown that single- Ω☆layer graphene absorbs only 2.3π×% of light in the viקsible and near-infrared ≤≥ wavelengths.
"The real challenge is how to ge$Ω©★t the sun through the skin that cover♣εs the PV cells." R₹₽&avinder‘s comments ''×☆on Advanced Function←₽≈al Materials
Advanced Functional Materials.
"No matter what kind of light, 9 ↕8% can reach the solar cell.""™¥δ Dahiya told the BBC Ω↕✔ that the electricity generated by tγ¶he solar cell is used to create th± e sense of touch. &quΩ$βot;Its touch is one order of☆ magnitude better than the ★δ↕human skin."
The skin gives the robotic arm the prop↓$er press feedback to γ•↕γgive it better control over the ✔π¶force of the grasping obje"←Ωct, even fragile eggs can be stead★¶βily picked up and lowered.
Dahiya said: "The next step is to®♣> develop a power generation ∑ technology that supports this ™€research and use it to drive a ha↑♥σ§nd-cranked motor, which will®" allow us to create a completely ene¶₩φ rgy-conscious prosthesis."
In addition, this superior performa¥♦nce robot skin is not expensive, Dah∑ε∑"iya said, 5-10 square centimeters of←β↓ new skin costs only $ 1. In fact, gra←•phene can do much more'< than give the robot a keen sens₩®✘e of touch, it can also help robotic sk&φin to heal.
According to futurism reports, Indian s¥Ω♣"cientists are in journal©←s
The latest research published ¶☆★by Open Physics found that graphene'↔ has a powerful self-h¥<ealing function. Scientist↔↔s hope that this feat∏ε✔ure can be applied to the field o★δf sensors, so that robot σs and humans have the same skin self r™"™epair function.
The traditional metal robot skin less d∑☆uctile, prone to cracks and daσαmage. However, if th↓λ∞∏e subnanometer senso♠γ÷≠r made of graphene can sense the cr>±&©ack, the robot‘s skin can preve₹ nt the crack from further expandin§≠g and even repair the crack. Rese>↓ αarch data shows that when the fractur★☆∏e exceeds the critical di ☆αsplacement threshold, a←↓₽utomatic repair func§★tion will automatically star↑€t.
"We wanted to ob↓'★serve the self-healing≤δ↑ behavior of virgin and de®φfective monolayer graphene through→↔ the molecular dynami↓≠cs simulation processβ✘γλ while also observing the p™§erformance of graphene in the locali↑←zation of sub-nanometer seδ✘>Ωnsor fissures."☆" In an interview, the lea<↕d author of the paper Swatβ★δi Ghosh Acharyya said: ₽"We were able toβ¥₽ observe the self-heali↓©σng behavior of graphene a☆¶¶t room temperature without any exter♥δ↔nal stimuli."
Researchers from India said theα✔÷₽ technology will be put to immediate u≠∏™se, perhaps the next genera€$≈←tion of robots.
