According to the report of the British "Nature" magazine website on July 29, researchers from Seoul University in South Korea took inspiration from the beetle's wings and developed a flexible electronic sensor that can capture the gentle footsteps of a ladybug walking. You can also distinguish between shear and torque, just like human skin. It can also be tied to the wrist and used as a heart rate monitor. The "Nature · Materials" magazine published on the 29th describes the design of the sensor. The researchers explained that when the beetle rests, the two rows of hair on its wings and body lock each other through an electrostatic attraction called van der Waals force. The "hair" together makes the electronic sensor. "Hair" is actually a polymer fiber with a diameter of 100 nanometers and a length of 1 micrometer, covered with a conductive metal coating. By sandwiching the polymer fiber layers together like a sandwich, these nano "hairs" will attract and lock each other. A soft protective layer made of polymer "wraps" it and connects it with wires, which can be used as a sensor. When the sensor is pressed, rubbed or brushed, the position of the "hair" changes, and the resistance of the sensor changes accordingly. As little as 5 Pascals of pressure can be detected by it, which is softer than the lightest touch. By analyzing how the resistance changes in response to mechanical stress, and how the resistance recovers when the force is removed, the researchers can distinguish three different types of mechanical stress: pressure from above, shear and friction generated by friction sliding along the surface, and torsion Torque. Human skin can distinguish these forces, but most artificial sensors cannot. The researchers said that other sensors can only sense the total force, but cannot determine the direction of the force. Bao Zhanan, a material scientist at Stanford University in the United States who is also developing flexible strain sensors, believes that the method developed by South Korean scientists using electronic readings to judge the nature of force needs to be improved, but its creativity is unique. Matti Chiokali of Willow Garage Robotics, California, said that this subtle tactile input will be very useful for designing robots that can interact with people. "Skin has always been a neglected part of robotics research and development." He said, because it brings a challenge: in addition to being strong, sensitive, and flexible, it also requires a very large surface area. And Korean researchers say that by making large molds, their sensor sheets can easily increase the area, and the cost is also very low. The electronic skin also needs to have a high spatial resolution to locate the pressure application point. The research team showed the resolution of their device: using a 64-pixel 8 cm x 5 cm sensor network to track the two ladybugs wandering along its surface. They also recorded the path of a drop of water jumping, and showed that the sensor sheet can also be tied to a person's wrist to measure their pulse. The researchers say they are discussing the feasibility of using this material to develop heart monitors with the same healthcare company. Kitchen Cabinet and Cabinet Door Led Buffet Cabinet,Kitchen Cabinet Doors,Custom Kitchen Cabinets,Kitchen Storage Cabinets DUOBUY TECHNOLOGY SHANDONG CO., LTD. , https://www.doubuytech.com