Researchers from Singapore have made a smart foam material that enables robots to sense nearby objects and repair themselves when damaged. This is similar to how human skin heals itself. Artificially innervated foam called AiFoam is a highly elastic polymer that is made with a blend of fluoropolymer and a compound that reduces surface tension.
This lets the material fit easily into one piece when cut, as per the researchers at the National University of Singapore. “There are many applications for such a material, especially in robotics and prosthetic devices, where robots need to be a lot more intelligent when working around humans,” explained lead researcher Benjamin Tee.
Making robots more intelligent and interactive
To imitate the human touch sense, the scientists blended the material with microscopic metal particles and underneath the foam’s surface, tiny electrodes were added. When pressure is applied, the metal particles come close to each other, altering their electrical properties. The electrodes connected to a computer are then able to detect these changes, instructing the robot on what to do, Tee explained.
“When I move my finger near the sensor, you can see the sensor is measuring the changes of my electrical field and responds accordingly to my touch,” he said.
Material to be ready in few years
With the aid of this feature, the robot hand not only detects the amount but also the direction of applied force, making them more intelligent and interactive. Tee further said that AiFoam is the only one that combines both self-healing and pressure-sensing capabilities. After researching for two years, Tee and his team hope the material can be used practically in the next five years.
“It can also allow prosthetic users to have more intuitive use of their robotic arms when grabbing objects,” he said.
Recently, Toyota also released a video showing a robot wiping down tables and other surfaces. The company claims to have developed a method that lets robots “perceive the 3D geometry of the scene while also detecting objects and surfaces.”
