Artificial Skin

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Health, Medicine, Technology

Ed Hessler

Skin. A remarkable organ. One way we interact with the world--holding objects, determine sensations such as temperature, texture, vibration, and pressure. It protects our insides from the outside and regenerates constantly.

And now artificial skin. It can stretch, carry electricity, and self-heal. One use of its ability to conduct electricity is in prosthetics (sense of touch) and in improving the capability of robotics. These electronics are also biodegradable.

In this film (8m), Stanford University's Zhenan Bao and her research group--the Bao Group--provide us an introduction to this new technology and some of its uses. Her link also includes a short video about her in the Women in Science series.