Singapore researchers have developed a sensible foam material that permits robots to sense nearby objects, and repairs themselves when damaged, a bit like human skin.
Artificially innervated foam, or AiFoam, maybe a highly elastic polymer created by mixing fluoropolymer with a compound that lowers physical phenomenon.
This allows the spongy material to fuse easily into one piece when cut, consistent with the researchers at the National University of Singapore.
“There are many applications for such a cloth, especially in robotics and prosthetic devices, where robots got to be tons more intelligent when working around humans,” explained lead researcher Benjamin Tee.
To replicate the human sense of touch, the researchers infused the fabric with microscopic metal particles and added tiny electrodes underneath the surface of the froth .
When pressure is applied, the metal particles draw closer within the polymer matrix, changing their electrical properties. These changes are often detected by the electrodes connected to a computer, which then tells the robot what to try to do, Tee said.
“When I move my finger near the sensor, you’ll see the sensor is measuring the changes of my electrical field and responds accordingly to my touch,” he said.
This feature enables the robotic hand to detect not only the quantity but also the direction of applied force, potentially making robots more intelligent and interactive.
Tee said AiFoam is that the first of its kind to mix both self-healing properties and proximity and pressure sensing. After spending over two years developing it, he and his team hope the fabric is often put to practical use within five years.
“It also can allow prosthetic users to possess more intuitive use of their robotic arms when grabbing objects,” he said.
