A team of researchers from Glasgow University have produced skin that could elevate the performance of robotics and prosthetic limbs.

The e-skin, which doesn’t use any touch-dedicated sensors, is energy-generated. It has been tested on a 3D-printed robotic hand, which has had success with clutching different objects that have been positioned in front of it, such as a ball and a screwdriver.

According to an article in The Engineer, the e-skin is powered by a combination of miniaturised solar cells and LEDs. The solar cells provide the power for components within the robotic hand to enable movement and the element of touch as objects move closer to the hand itself.

The LED’s, which are situated between the solar cells, measure and anticipate the distance of objects approaching the hand by firing infra-red light at them.

“That lack of sensors means the skin requires no conventional power source to work, unlike other equivalent devices which include touch sensors”, said Professor Ravinder Dahiya, leader of the Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies Group at the James Watt School of Engineering in Glasgow.

“In fact, the skin itself is the source of energy, capable of powering the hand and devices attached to it. The generated power can be stored in devices such as flexible supercapacitors we’ve developed to work alongside the skin, so it doesn’t have to be constantly exposed to the sun in order to work.”