Robotics like human-computer interfaces and artificial prosthetics have been making waves in recent years and have been increasingly integrated into our society. Researchers have been on toying with how to improve the sensitivity of parts that function similarly to human hands.
Function and Sensitivity of the Human Hands
Because of the hands' mobility and stability, they can hold a myriad of positions and apply a precise amount of pressure to hold and manipulate objects. In addition, PhysioPedia explains that the power of muscles in our hands provides an astounding degree of sensory feedback to the thousands of nerves in place.
The sensory feedback is then used to assess a variety of characteristics such as size, shape, texture, and weight of objects touched. The feedback used in lifting and grasping objects is dependent on the brain's correct interpretation.
The most complex adaptation of the hand involves the thumb, where a unique, fully independent muscle known as the flexor pollicis longus provides the hand's digits with strength power in pinching and gripping. Human fingertips are able to communicate the smallest of details up to 40 umpires, half the width of a hair, and discern the subtle difference in different surface textures. The human fingertips are also able to apply just the right amount of force to either lift bags of dog food or an egg.
Mimicking the Tactile Sensitivity and Directionality of Human Fingertips for Robotics
Engineers have been trying to mimic the human fingertip's ability for prosthetic uses and robotics with varying levels of success. Professor Ku from the University of Michigan and his team recently reported a new, improved method for tactile sensing that's able to detect directionality and force with an impressively high level of sensitivity. The system's high resolution makes it perfectly suitable for both robotics and HCL applications and is relatively simple to manufacture.
In a study published in the journal Nano Letters, titled "Ultrathin Tactile Sensors with Directional Sensitivity and a High Spatial Resolution," Nathan Dvorak, a member of Professor Ku's team, says that they are bridging the gap between computers and humans, suggesting that in the near future they will be able to teach robots how to feel objects closer to our own human capabilities.
For the past several years, the team has been developing various tactics sensors. They are the first to be able to integrate a highly sensitive sense of touch directionally using asymmetric nanopillars. This technology allows prosthetic devices to be able to more tightly grasp objects or for a human-computer interface to be able to differentiate rising from falling motion, reports PhysOrg.
As proof of their concept, researchers built a sensor the size of a human fingertip containing 1.6 million gallium nitride nanopillars. GaN was used because of its ability to measure force through its natural piezoelectric prosperity, which allows it to generate electric charges under stress. Although there are many more years of research and development necessary before its put into production, the team is positive that they are able to bridge the gap for prosthetic robotics.
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