Book 15, Question 33
Why Do Some Robots Have Touch-Sensitive Skin?
Some robots have touch sensitive skin so their hands can handle things more skillfully.
Some robots have touch-sensitive skin so they know where they are touched and how hard! The skin is a layer with many tiny pressure sensors. It helps robots be gentle and safe, just like your skin helps you.
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Quick answers
What do the fingertip sensors measure?
Both how hard something presses and which direction it pushes.
Source: Stanford
More fun facts
- Stanford engineers built an electronic glove with touch sensors that could help robot hands handle things more skillfully.
- Each fingertip sensor is made of three flexible layers that work together, like the layers of human skin.
- The sensors measure both how hard something presses and which direction it pushes.
- A bumpy layer underneath helps reveal the direction of the push, called shear force.
- With the sensors on its fingers, a robot hand lifted a ping-pong ball without crushing it.
- Someday a robot wearing the glove might hold an egg between thumb and finger without smashing it or letting it slip.
- Your own outer skin has sensors that detect pressure, heat and other things.
Sources: Stanford
Questions kids ask
Why does the direction of a push matter?
Knowing both how hard and which way something pushes is essential for handling objects with skill.