New materials and advances in making electronic skin for interactive robots

TLDR

Flexible electronics promise to transform robotics and prosthetics by enabling conformable, stretchable skins that allow safe human‑robot interaction on non‑planar surfaces. This review aims to survey the materials and engineering strategies used to create flexible, stretchable electronic skins for robotic applications. It examines how novel materials and the smart redesign of conventional substrates enable sensors and electronics that can be wrapped around curved surfaces, thereby achieving flexibility and reliable operation.

Abstract

Flexible electronics has huge potential to bring revolution in robotics and prosthetics as well as to bring about the next big evolution in electronics industry. In robotics and related applications, it is expected to revolutionise the way with which machines interact with humans, real-world objects and the environment. For example, the conformable electronic or tactile skin on robot's body, enabled by advances in flexible electronics, will allow safe robotic interaction during physical contact of robot with various objects. Developing a conformable, bendable and stretchable electronic system requires distributing electronics over large non-planar surfaces and movable components. The current research focus in this direction is marked by the use of novel materials or by the smart engineering of the traditional materials to develop new sensors, electronics on substrates that can be wrapped around curved surfaces. Attempts are being made to achieve flexibility/stretchability in e-skin while retaining a reliable operation. This review provides insight into various materials that have been used in the development of flexible electronics primarily for e-skin applications.