Robotic Skin Detects Shear Force

Oct-18-17 An innovative flexible skin able to accurately measure shear force could give robots a new level of dexterity.

Sheer force allows humans to determine when something is slipping from our grasp, and it has been difficult to duplicate in prosthetic hands. However, a new flexible sensor from the University of Washington and UCLA could overcome this obstacle.

The flexible, bio-inspired skin is made of silicon rubber embedded with tiny winding channels filled with electrically conductive liquid. When the robotic finger moves along a surface, the liquid will shift to compress the skin on one side of the ‘finger’ while stretching the skin on the other side. This allows the system to effectively sense shear force, and adjust its pressure accordingly.

More Info about this Invention:

[SCIENCEDIRECT.COM]
[WASHINGTON.EDU]

---