机器人有了“皮肤”触觉

Core Insights - The research team from the University of Cambridge and University College London has developed a new type of flexible conductive robot "skin" that can simultaneously sense pressure and temperature, distinguishing multiple contact points to gather environmental information in a human-like manner [1][2] Group 1: Technological Breakthrough - The innovative "skin" utilizes a single sensor to identify various stimuli through a method called "electrical impedance tomography," which employs 32 electrodes to create over 860,000 different current path combinations, forming a high-density, fully covered sensing network [2] - The system processes complex electrical signals generated by the skin in response to external stimuli, using artificial intelligence algorithms to learn and identify the most effective electrode combinations for distinguishing specific stimuli [2][3] Group 2: Material Innovation - The robot skin is made from a hydrophilic three-dimensional network structure gel known as hydrogel, which is soft, conductive, and sensitive to mechanical force, temperature, and humidity, allowing it to be shaped into complex forms [3] - This hydrogel-based skin represents a significant advancement in the fields of robotic perception and materials science, merging computational intelligence with biomimetic trends [3] Group 3: Future Applications and Challenges - The development of robotic skin is expected to enhance robots' interaction capabilities with their environment, making them adaptable to more complex settings, with potential applications in humanoid robots, healthcare monitoring, smart wearables, prosthetics, industrial manufacturing, and disaster relief [4] - Despite the significant achievements, challenges remain, such as the hydrogel's tendency to lose water and crack in air, and the current system's slow scanning speed, which does not meet high-speed interaction demands [3][4]