Expected as the next-generation of wearable displays and robot skin applications

Hanyang University announced on December 21 that a joint research team led by Professor Kim Do-hwan of Hanyang University Department of Chemical Engineering, Professor Lee Kyung-jin of Chungnam University, and Professor Ying Wu-Bin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed high-stretch, ultra-sensitive iontronic skin that can stretch like human skin, heal wounds autonomously, and restore fine tactile functions.

 

In order to develop electronic skin that can be used in robot skin and wearable healthcare fields, it is essential to develop e-skin materials that can restore itself to strong external impacts, such as human skin, and detect user surroundings in real time. However, it has been difficult to implement a material that autonomously and quickly self-restores wounds and high tactile fuction at a room temperature.

 

Accordingly, the research team came up with an idea from biomimetic approach following on the self-healing function of the actual human skin and the mechanical stimulation of tactile cells. The researchers synthesized a new thermoplastic polyurethane material with a dynamic disulfide bond functional group and a chlorine substituent. They combined it with artificial ions to develop an Iontronic electronic skin that can self-heal wounds and restore tactile sensors.

 

Professor Kim said, "This study is very meaningful in that it controls ion distribution in ion conductors responding to variation of pressure variation by simulating the ion-based signal transmission system of bio-tactile cells and maximizes tactile perception, while suggesting a new concept of electronic skin that restores wound structure and tactile function simultaneously at room temperature." He also said, "This achievement is expected to be used as a soft tactile interface between users and objects in the IoT era, such as robot skin technology, realistic touch screens for wearable devices, and skin-attached health diagnosis patches."

 

The research was conducted with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Korea Research Foundation's personal research support project, nano and material technology development project, high-tech convergence technology development project, leading research center project, and the Material component technology development project led by Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology. 

 

This study (Ultrafast, autonomous self-healable iontronic skin exhibiting piezo-ionic dynamics) is published online in the renowned international academic journal "Nature Communications" on December 13 , having applied for one domestic patent with related technologies.