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First Autonomous Humanoid Robot with Full-Body Artificial Skin

Inspired by human skin, researchers at the Technical University of Munich  have developed a system combining artificial skin with new control algorithms, and used it to create the first autonomous humanoid robot with full-body artificial skin. The artificial skin consists of hexagonal cells about one inch in diameter. Each is equipped with a microprocessor and sensors to detect contact, acceleration, proximity, and temperature. Such artificial skin enables robots to perceive their surroundings in much greater detail and with more sensitivity. This helps them to move safely and also makes them safer when operating near people.

Topics:
Automation Data Acquisition Electronics & Computers Materials Robotics Sensors

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    Transcript

    00:00:01 Scientists in robotics have been looking into artificial skin for a long time. Sensitive skin could make robots able to actually feel their environment. So far, however, there has been a serious obstacle for robot skin: computing power. The skin of a human contains 5 Million receptors. If there was artificial skin with a similar number of receptors, you would need a whole building full of computers to process the information from a humanoid robot. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich developed a new approach that drastically reduces the computing power needed. The Munich researchers invented robot skin cells and a sensing system inspired by human skin. Each cell can measure proximity, pressure, temperature and acceleration.

    00:00:58 The new system works similar to how our brain processes signals from our skin – this is how the researchers were able to make less computing power work for a whole robot. While old approaches constantly compute signals from all skin cells, the new one only uses computing power when the cells actually are activated. Just like we get used to our clothes, the robot skin ignores constant signals after a while. Through this new concept, it finally became possible to apply Robot Skin to a humanoid robot from head to toe. Because there is robot skin on the soles of his feet, H-1 is able to balance on one foot. The skin on his body improves H-1's hugging capabilities. Because of its skin the robot can feel the human and is safe for close interaction – for

    00:01:53 example in assistive care. Otherwise this would be very dangerous. In combination, the skin and the sensing system could pave the way for new ways of interaction between humans and robots.