It’s not sci-fi, it’s a medical breakthrough.
For generations past, robotic prosthetics were something you heard about only in science fiction. But it turns out that science fiction is inspiring some major medical breakthroughs—specifically, that scene at the conclusion of The Empire Strikes Back where Luke Skywalker receives a replacement robotic hand. So, if you’re someone who likes to spend May 4 wishing your fellow Jedis, “May the Fourth be with you,” here’s a fun fact you can share with them this year.
Over on the other side of the world, researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed what’s known as asynchronous coded electronic skin, called ACES for short. It’s a type of electronic skin that uses 100 small sensors to recreate the human sense of touch—including texture, pain, heat, cold, and other sensations. Specifically, these sensors can determine up to 30 textures and even read Braille. As this technology develops, researchers expect they can apply ACES to prosthetic limbs and allow people to regain their sense of touch.
Another potential use for ACES? It could be used on robots that would benefit from an artificial sense of touch for when they’re doing tasks that are either too dangerous or mundane for humans to do. Additionally, the sense of touch could be beneficial for robots used to perform surgery—a huge step forward for the medical community!
