ARTIFICIAL skin has been invented by scientists and it could give robots the ability to feel.
The creepy invention is said to be much more sensitive than human skin and could allow machines to experience sensations that would be impossible for us.
1
A team of scientists from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore claims to have created the skin.
They say it has a higher ability to sense than human skin and could make super humanoid robots.
This includes giving robots the ability to feel an object approaching before it even puts any pressure on the artificial skin.
Yifan Wang, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said: “We created artificial skin with sensing capabilities superior to human skin.
“Unlike human skin that senses most information from touching actions, this artificial skin also obtains rich cognitive information encoded in touchless or approaching operations.”
They added: “The work could lead to next-generation robotic perception technologies superior to existing tactile sensors.”
The researchers have published their findings in the academic journal Small.
Human–machine interfaces, artificial intelligence, prosthesis, and augmented reality are just some of the categories that the researchers think the skin could enhance.
Most read in News Tech
In terms of human prostheses, the skin could potentially help amputees feel sensations in a different way.
It could also make humanoid robots even more human-like.
There are other research teams working on robot skin.
Last year, researchers at The University of Japan wrapped robot fingers in human skin grown in a lab.
They argued that robots covered in skin could be easier for us to relate to.
