Electronic skin developed for healthcare as flexible as crocodile skin

For a number of industries, including robotics, prosthetic limbs, healthcare, and rehabilitation, electronic skin with many senses is crucial. Stretchable pressure sensors, which can recognise different kinds of touch and pressure, are one of the main elements of this technology. POSTECH and the University of Ulsan in Korea recently collaborated to develop omnidirectionally stretchy pressure sensors that were inspired by crocodile skin, which represents a significant advancement. The team behind the research was led by Professor Kilwon Cho, Dr Giwon Lee, and Dr Jonghyun Son from the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH, along with a team led by Professor Seung Goo Lee from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ulsan. They drew inspiration from the unique sensory organ of crocodile skin and developed pressure sensors with microdomes and wrinkled surfaces. The result was an omnidirectionally stretchable pressure sensor. Crocodiles, formidable predators that spend most of their time submerged underwater, possess a remarkable ability to sense small waves and detect the direction of their prey. This ability is made possible by an incredibly sophisticated and sensitive sensory organ located on their skin. The organ is composed of hemispheric sensory bumps that are arranged in a repeated pattern with wrinkled hinges between them. When the crocodile moves its body, the hinges deform while the sensory part remains unaffected by mechanical deformations, enabling the crocodile to maintain an exceptional level of sensitivity to external stimuli while swimming or hunting underwater.