New Electronic Skin that can ‘Feel’ Pain

Scientists have developed electronic artificial skin that reacts to pain just like real skin.

The prototype device developed by a team at RMIT University can electronically replicate the way human skin senses pain, opening the way to better prosthetics, smarter robotics and non-invasive alternatives to skin grafts.

The device mimics the body’s near-instant feedback response and can react to painful sensations with the same lighting speed that nerve signals travel to the brain.

Lead researcher Professor Madhu Bhaskaran said the pain-sensing prototype was a significant advance towards next-generation biomedical technologies and intelligent robotics.

“Skin is our body’s largest sensory organ, with complex features designed to send rapid-fire warning signals when anything hurts,” Bhaskaran said.

“We’re sensing things all the time through the skin but our pain response only kicks in at a certain point, like when we touch something too hot or too sharp.

“No electronic technologies have been able to realistically mimic that very human feeling of pain – until now.

“Our artificial skin reacts instantly when pressure, heat or cold reach a painful threshold.

“It’s a critical step forward in the future development of the sophisticated feedback systems that we need to deliver truly smart prosthetics and intelligent robotics.”