Artificial Skin

Abstract

Skin is the most complex and large-scale tissue on the human body that determines our interactions and understanding of the world around us; we can unknowingly and simultaneously perceive and distinguish between a number of external events such as, a light breeze and a windy day, a wooden table versus a silky fabric, a light touch compared to a tight press, and the difference between hot and cold water. For decades now, replicating the properties of skin using electronic components has been vastly pursued, with implications to restore skin sensations and multifunctionality over large surface areas, for prosthetics and augmenting the capabilities of humanoids. Driven efforts rapidly escalated towards the use of electronic skin developments for a wider range of applications necessitating multifunctional and compliant platforms, hence rendering Internet of Everything wearables smarter, interactive, and more personalized.