back to article Japanese boffins build 'robotic skin'

Japanese boffins have taken the wraps off what they claim to be the world’s thinnest and lightest electronic circuits, potentially paving the way for wearable healthcare applications and even “robotic skin” in the future. Tokyo University researchers Takao Someya and Tsuyoshi Sekitani have been running the government sponsored …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    humm...

    this could lead to better wearable devices, in which you will touch your skin to give an input. A projector will project the interface on your skin and you will touch your skin to make the selection.

    Well, let us combine this with google glasses, let the robotic skin have 4 corners that make use of AR technology, the glasses will recognize the area (angle and size) and project the menu on your glasses. You could then touch the skin to make a selection. The difference between this and AR technology alone is that the touch will be real, there won't be any mistake made by the camera.

    Although this requires that the robotic skin is able to power itself and to include a transmitter!

    1. Ragarath
      Stop

      Re: humm...

      Erm, why do you need robotic skin for this? You just need AR surely?

      You can mark out the area using a felt tip pen if you like rather than ticking some cling film to your body and sweating all day.

      I think this technology has great potential but it is just a circuit at the moment, where is the processing coming from? I assume something will have to supply that if it is to be more than a sensor?

      I have not read up on the whole thing yet.

    2. Adam Foxton
      Go

      Re: humm...

      Projector?

      If they can print a transistor they can print a diode... Which can be made to emit light. With a grid of these you could then have a display built into your skin. It'd then take only a little extra work to incorporate a touch sensor into the system.

      With strain gauges built in, again pretty simple, you could have the image re-map dynamically to show a flat image.

      lots of potential in this invention!

  2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    Impressive

    That level of flexibility is very impressive.

    The usual issues with this stuff are twofold.

    Vacuum deposition tends to push up the costs and historically organic FETS (especially the oxide layers) have been very sensitive to atmospheric Oxygen and water vapor.

    Interesting start but this is V 0.1 tech.

  3. Crisp
    Happy

    Robotic Skin?

    Naked robots!

    1. FartingHippo
      Terminator

      Re: Robotic Skin?

      I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. I saw stretchy circuits glued to an arm. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

      1. ecofeco Silver badge

        Re: Robotic Skin?

        I see someone else has been watching Blade Runner lately.

        No hand-me down. Still a great movie. WAY ahead of its time.

        Do androids dream of electric sheep?

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Robotic Skin?

        Them Sea Bream don't half glitter, and no mistake!

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