This truly is revolutionary in the science community.
The skin is purely electronic yet can send and receive instantaneous signals from the brain (computer) in response to uncomfortable and painful sensations just like a normal person would.
This break through is the first of many to follow. The prototype was tested by the RMIT University research program in Melbourne, Australia.
Lead reasearcher, Professor Madhu Bhaskaran, is head of the Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering program at RMIT and has been developing this skin for years.
Professor Bhaskaran received the Eureka Prize for this creation back in 2017. Back then the skin was just a combination of brittle oxide coatings and silicone rubber, like the touchscreen on an iPhone.
After the acceptance of her award she stated;
“As an RMIT researcher, everyday you strive to shape a better world by delivering innovations that benefit Australian and international communities. My work on stretchable oxides carries clear environmental health and community benefits.”
Professor Bhaskaran, RMIT University
Her recent prototype has greatly surpassed the first, now being described as a ‘significant advance towards next-generation biomedical technologies and intelligent robotics’.
RMIT University team of researcher have now developed stretchable electronics. These technologies are meant for building electronic circuits by embedding these devices within stretchable substrates such as silicone or polyurethanes.
Although a bit difficult to understand, it’s fascinating to hear about it. Professor Bhaskaran explains it a bit better to Sky News:
“Skin is our body’s largest sensory organ, with complex features designed to send rapid-fire warning signals when anything hurts. We’re sensing things all the time through the skin but our pain response only kicks in at a certain point, like when we touch something too hot or too sharp.
No electronic technologies have been able to realistically mimic that very human feeling of pain- until now. Our artificial skin reacts instantly when pressure, heat, or cold reach a painful threshold. It’s a critical step forward in the future development of the sophisticated feedback systems that we need to deliver truly smart prosthetics and intelligent robotics.”
Professor Bhaskaran, Sky News
She hopes the skin will ultimately replace skin grafts. Biocompatibility and skin like stretchability are the key factors in her work. Although they need to further develop the creation in order to integrate it with biomedical applications, the fundamentals are there.
Bhaskaran’s work could be the new face of skin grafts and prosthetics.
