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Research from City University of Hong Kong has unveiled how a new type of electronic skin enables robots to perceive pain and injury actively. Although robots do not possess the ability to feel pain or sustain injuries like humans, this groundbreaking technology allows the robot to simulate an awareness of pain, preventing potential harm or destruction to their components and detecting damage to the skin itself.
The study titled “A neuromorphic robotic electronic skin with active pain and injury perception” was published last year and complements other advanced robotic sensing technologies currently under development. For instance, the Chinese firm XPENG has launched its eighth generation humanoid robots equipped with synthetic skin, which enhances their warmth and intimacy. Concurrently, skin-sensing technology is crucial for the robot’s environmental awareness.
In this instance, the researchers developed a neuromorphic robotic electronic skin (NRE-skin) that surpasses simple pressure sensitivity. It operates similarly to a basic nervous system by sending a “pain” signal to the robot in response to increasing or sustained pressure. This innovation could assist in recognizing physical damage and initiating reflexive responses without relying on central processing constantly.