Chinese scientists create biologically inspired 3D electronic skin

A team of Chinese scientists has created the world’s first bio-inspired electronic skin, with a 3D structure that mimics mechanical signals found in human skin.

Thanks to their intricate 3D distribution, the sensory receptors in human skin skillfully perceive external forces and tension. By mimicking this spatial distribution, researchers at Tsinghua University developed skin featuring its own “epidermis,” “dermis,” and “subcutaneous tissue.”

The equipment is capable of simultaneously decoding and perceiving three mechanical signals – pressure, friction and tension – at a physical level, according to the study recently published in the journal Science. “A piece of electronic skin comparable in size to the tip of an index finger is equipped with 240 metal sensors, each between two and three hundred micrometers in size,” said Zhang Yihui, the study’s corresponding author.

“Its spatial arrangement closely mimics the distribution of tactile receptor cells in human skin,” Zhang added. The sensors accumulate signals that are meticulously processed and subsequently refined through deep learning algorithms, allowing biomimetic skin to perceive the texture and contours of objects with remarkable accuracy.

Electronic skin has the potential to be integrated into the fingertips of medical robots for accurate early-stage diagnoses and interventions. It can also be used as a Band-Aid to provide real-time monitoring of vital health metrics, including blood oxygen saturation and heart rate, according to Zhang.