Think about the robots of the future. Your mind might conjure images of futuristic robot maids, robotic cars, and other such fanciful items. These developments may seem like something out of a science fiction novel, set in the distant future. However, scientists are working on a variety of uses for robots that, although they seem fantastic, could become a reality very soon.
One of these incredible inventions came, very recently, from a researcher at Stanford by the name of Zhenan Bao. He has developed a substance that could take the place of skin for people who have prosthetic limbs. Not only is this robotic skin flexible, but it is touch sensitive and even solar powered. This would allow people with prosthetics to actually feel when people high-five them or brush against their arm.
This skin is made of a combination of elastic and rubber, molded in the form of very tiny triangles, which are not visible on the surface of the skin. The skins with the highest level of sensitivity can even tell when a fly lands on the arm. The purpose of the solar cells is to allow the skin to be stretched to cover the joints, and to bend with the limbs themselves. This is a remarkable progression in the field of robotics, and could have myriad benefits in the years to come.
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