A team of scientists from Tsinghua University has created the world’s first electronic skin with a three-dimensional bionic structure capable of mimicking three mechanical signals present in human skin.

The e-skin is designed to take into account the complex distribution of sensory cells in human skin to ensure accurate perception of external influences. The researchers replicated a structure consisting of epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue, allowing the e-skin to function similarly to real skin.

The e-skin is equipped with 240 metal sensors ranging in size from 200 to 300 micrometres over an area the size of the tip of an index finger.

The sensors collect signals that are processed using deep learning algorithms, allowing the skin to distinguish textures and contours of objects with high accuracy. The e-skin demonstrates a pressure perception resolution of about 0.1 millimetres, which is comparable to the sensitivity of human skin. This is reported by
Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

The technology could be used in medical robots for early diagnosis and treatment of diseases, as well as in a patch to monitor important health indicators in real time, including blood oxygen saturation and heart rate.