Robot skin that detects damage and automatically repairs it?

The University of Cambridge and the University of Brussels are conducting SHERO (Self-Healing Soft Robotics), a joint research on robotic skin that uses self-healing polymers to heal pain and wounds by using self-healing polymers.

This allows the damaged area to be rejoined with heat during work and then reworked. Since it is a robot, you might think that hard plastic or metal is not enough, but in recent years, demand is progressing not only for industrial use, such as for consistent work in factories, but also for developing soft robots that lightly hold soft objects or do not injure people working together. Is increasing.

Of course, a soft robot covered with rubber, silicone, or plastic can cause damage or deterioration to work. This is why we are researching materials that can be recombined with heat without using adhesives or tapes. Of course, if you do self-healing, you don’t even need to repair it.

The research team is designing a station that diagnoses how damaged the robot arm is and uses heat by itself when damage occurs inside, and a station that discharges heat when it is damaged outside. However, it takes a little time for treatment. It is said that 62% will recover on 3 days, 91% on 7 days, and 97% on 14 days.

Since it is a robot, it can work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but the time it takes to recover will remain a task in the future. However, if it is limited to robot skin, theoretically, it is said that infinite recovery is possible any number of times using this method. This means that there is no need for new parts or repair costs. Related information can be found here .