In the course of the research the scientists first grew silicon nanorods on a special drum. Then, by running the drum over a special polymer substrate, the researchers obtained an elastic material with nanorods built into its structure. On a piece of “skin” 7 by 7 centimetres the scientists placed a 19 by 18 pixel array, each pixel of which contained hundreds of nanorods.
The system obtained proved able to register pressures from 0 to 15 kilopascals. In the researchers' words, these are roughly the levels of pressure that human skin experiences when typing on a computer or holding a small object.
In the scientists' words, their technology has a number of advantages over the existing equivalents. Most “artificial skins”, for example, are made of organic materials, which need a high voltage to work.
The “skin” of the scientists from California works at a voltage of only 5 volts. Besides this, organic materials prove not to be strong enough, whereas the “skin” with nanorods withstands up to 2000 bends without any loss of sensitivity.
The scientists hope that the new technology will be useful for creating sensitive manipulators able to handle fragile objects as well. The new “skin” may also help in creating high-technology prostheses.