Robots given 'more accurate sense of touch'

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed piezoelectric transistors - electronic components that translate pressure into electrical signals - they say could give robots a much more accurate sense of touch.

‘This is a fundamentally new technology that allows us to control electronic devices directly using mechanical agitation,’ said Georgia Tech’s Prof Zhong Lin Wang in a statement.

‘This could be used in a broad range of areas, including robotics, MEMS, human-computer interfaces and other areas that involve mechanical deformation.’

He added, ‘Any mechanical motion, such as the movement of arms or the fingers of a robot, could be translated to control signals. This could make artificial skin smarter and more like the human skin. It would allow the skin to feel activity on the surface.’

Unlike current touch sensors that measure changes is electrical resistance, the new transistors - dubbed “taxels” - are formed from bundles of around 1,500 vertically aligned nanowires made from zinc oxide that generate electricity when put under pressure.