Next Generation Electronic Skin Can Feel Pain like Human Skin

[EJMB]

Researchers in Australia have developed artificial skin prototypes that can react and respond to pain, temperature and pressure just like natural skin would sense.

This is achieved through three technologies patented by the team which are stretchable electronics, temperature-reactive coatings and electronic memory cells within the "skin" so to speak. This allows them to mimic the functions of the Pacinian Corpuscle, thermoreceptors and nociceptors found in skin (which are some of the receptors found in human skin; this is better explained and thoroughly discussed in their scientific paper linked below).
 

Quotes

Quote

“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.”


“We need further development to integrate this technology into biomedical applications but the fundamentals — biocompatibility, skin-like stretchability — are already there,” Bhaskaran said.

 

As someone who works in the medical field, this is one step in the direction of providing patients with viable options in terms of skin-grafts which are necessary in certain scenarios from burns and defect closure after certain types of surgeries. There are a multitude of medical applications for this but those details can wait for now.

This also allows the possibility of producing smarter and more humanoid robots down the line (although I'd find that a bit creepy if I'm being honest).

 

Sources

 https://scitechdaily.com/new-electronic-skin-can-react-to-pain-like-human-skin-for-better-prosthetics-and-smarter-robots/
“Artificial Somatosensors: Feedback receptors for electronic skins” by Md. Ataur Rahman, Sumeet Walia, Sumaiya Naznee, Mohammad Taha, Shruti Nirantar, Fahmida Rahman, Madhu Bhaskaran and Sharath Sriram 1 September 2020, Advanced Intelligent Systems.
DOI: 10.1002/aisy.202000094

[Burnedice25]

hell yeah! RMIT is in my city, feels so weird to see it on here. awesome news

 

[GenericFanboy]

We can finally all get girlfriends guys!!!

[EJMB]

1 hour ago, GenericFanboy said:

We can finally all get girlfriends guys!!!

[EJMB]

1 hour ago, huilun02 said:

Skin does not feel pain... its the signals from receptors sent through the nervous system that the brain interprets as pain.

 

Its so stupid whenever people present a scientifically incorrect claim on a scientific subject...

I agree, the nociceptors in our skin don't feel pain as they merely are receptors and they conduct the signals back to brain. No one is arguing that at all and I fully appreciate you for pointing it out.
The manner in which the statement was written or presented in the reference article is made in such a way for a broader audience to understand it from a practical perspective and not at all to fully describe the intricacies of how it actually works (or for that matter how the human body works).

Let's say we have two statements to present the topic:

New Electronic Skin Can React to Pain Like Human Skin – For Better Prosthetics and Smarter Robots -> this is the exact title of the article presented on the news website

 

VS

Artificial Somatosensors: Feedback Receptors for Electronic Skins -> the exact title of the study done by the researchers (also linked up above)

Now, the second title is absolutely accurate in how to scientifically describe what they are trying to do but I doubt it would be the best way to present it to a larger audience and attract interest.

Thank you though for pointing it out, will try to see if I can make titles a bit better and more accurate without overcomplicating the jargon.

[Doobeedoo]

 

[EJMB]

13 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

 

What movie/show is this from?

 

And damn, looks creepy to me for some reason. Haha

[Doobeedoo]

5 minutes ago, EJMB said:

What movie/show is this from?

 

And damn, looks creepy to me for some reason. Haha

Star Trek

[EJMB]

7 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

Star Trek

Honestly have never seen any Star Trek episode. 

Thanks!

 

I feel people already after my head.

[Drama Lama]

5 hours ago, EJMB said:

Honestly have never seen any Star Trek episode. 

Thanks!

 

I feel people already after my head.

Star Trek discovery 

[Drama Lama]

Great 

now we can beat up the robots when they take over the world 

[Trik'Stari]

[YellowJersey]

[EJMB]

5 hours ago, Drama Lama said:

Star Trek discovery 

duly noted
might give it a shot sometime

[EJMB]

5 hours ago, Drama Lama said:

Great 

now we can beat up the robots when they take over the world 

Can you imagine if robots then looked like those seen in Westworld? 

[ARikozuM]

[Fallout securitrons intensify]

[EJMB]

59 minutes ago, YellowJersey said:

Same question all of us ask ourselves at some point 

[CarlBar]

On 9/4/2020 at 2:16 AM, EJMB said:

duly noted
might give it a shot sometime

 

As a trekkie it's from the movie star trek first contact.

[StDragon]

2 hours ago, CarlBar said:

 

As a trekkie it's from the movie star trek first contact.

It was the Borg Queen's gift to Data.

 

For those that want to know why, you'll have to watch the movie. But I recommend watching the STNG series first.

[Shreyas1]

This would have to hook up to the nerves in the region for the signals to actually feel normal right? How does that work? As in how do you connect the receptors in this skin to the nerves in your body?

[EJMB]

4 hours ago, CarlBar said:

 

As a trekkie it's from the movie star trek first contact.

Alright...seems like there will be a lot of time spent watching all of Star Trek if I started

[EJMB]

1 hour ago, StDragon said:

It was the Borg Queen's gift to Data.

 

For those that want to know why, you'll have to watch the movie. But I recommend watching the STNG series first.

How large is the Star Trek universe? I can only imagine there's a ton of content to watch or read but I'm not much of a comic/graphic novel reader if ever

[EJMB]

15 minutes ago, Shreyas1 said:

This would have to hook up to the nerves in the region for the signals to actually feel normal right? How does that work? As in how do you connect the receptors in this skin to the nerves in your body?

That is correct

The experiment/study they performed was only done on the skin "side" meaning that the neuro-engineering/neuromorphic technology requried for this to link with the CNS has yet to be developed.

It might be be that we will see this tech in humanoid robots first but we'll see.

[CarlBar]

1 hour ago, EJMB said:

How large is the Star Trek universe? I can only imagine there's a ton of content to watch or read but I'm not much of a comic/graphic novel reader if ever

 

Quite large but the various series are disconnected. The Next Generation and the movies are connected, but you don't need to watch deep space 9 or Voyager to understand the movies despite a few cameo's. Still worth watching IMO. Just be aware that they're all reasonably old now. I think TNG premiered in 1980. Mostly to longtime trek fans it doesn't show but it might feel obvious to an outsider coming in.

[Doqtori]

This is some really nice technology, but does your skin really feel pain, though? Like I've cut my skin numerous times, but I hardly feel it. I wouldn't want to hit my skin with a needle and feel like it went trough it to the flesh.