Skin

Researchers have developed an electronic skin that allows humanoid robots to distinguish everyday touch from damaging force. That ability, once reserved for living nervous systems, could reshape how robots interact with the physical world and with humans.

Scientists have developed a fully transparent skin sensor that accurately measures UV radiation, detecting light and converting it to electrical signals. So before the sun's rays reach damaging levels, a phone alert lets users know it's time to cover up.

In a breakthrough that isn't at all creepy, scientists have devised a method of anchoring living human skin to robots' faces. The technology could actually have some valuable applications, beyond making Westworld-like scenarios a reality.

Got a rash or spot to check out? Take a photo! Google Lens can now save you from wading through hundreds of images of skin conditions, letting you search for your own much more easily and delivering results for diagnosis and recommended treatment.

The squid’s color-changing abilities have fascinated scientists for decades. Now, researchers have created a new squid-inspired artificial skin that can withstand extreme cold and kill microbes, opening the door to a range of potential uses.

Although there are things we can do to reduce stress, most involve stopping what we're doing – which isn't always possible. A new study, however, suggests that the automated brushing of hairy skin is an effective form of passive stress reduction.

Mussels have long been known for the adhesive they produce, which allows them to cling to rocks. The protein responsible has now been utilized in a new skin grafting technique, which reportedly results in little to no scarring.

We've been hearing a lot about synthetic skins made for robotic hands, which would give the devices human-like qualities. Scientists in Japan have gone a step further, by covering a robotic finger in a self-healing skin made from live human cells.

Applying the wearable sensors of the future could be as simple as sketching out a shape on your arm, according to new research that investigates the potential for bioelectronics to be applied through graphite pencils and office copy paper.

In the not-too-distant future, we may see wound dressings that default to absorbing bodily fluids, while also releasing medication on demand. The same material could allow robots to cool themselves by sweating.

It was just last year that we heard how scientists from Stanford University had designed a skin-worn sensor that measures stress via cortisol levels in the sweat. Now, researchers from that same institute have announced a similar sensor that tracks other vital signs.

Space travel is conducive to injuries. Now researchers from Dresden Technical University (TUD) have developed a 3D bioprinting method for use in space, creating new skin and bone tissue out of resources that might be available to astronauts.