VOA慢速英语--机器人的“皮肤”的新材料可以模拟人类触觉

Researchers in Singapore have developed an electronic material that helps robots sense touch and nearby objects.

The material is a kind of foam¹: a solid substance that is filled with air and is soft. And the foam has another useful quality. It repairs itself when damaged, much like human skin.

The material is called AiFoam, which is short for artificially innervated foam. To innervate means to supply with nerves. In robots, AiFoam would gather information from nearby and send it to a computer controlling the robot.

It 'heals' itself

AiFoam is a stretchy polymer combined with a mixture that lowers surface tension. This means that if you cut the material, it can return easily into one piece.

Benjamin Tee is a lead researcher on the new material at the National University of Singapore. He said there are many uses for such a material "especially in robotics and prosthetic devices, where robots need to be a lot more intelligent when working around humans."

To copy the human sense of touch, the researchers mixed microscopic² pieces of metal into the material. Then they added very small electrical connections underneath³ the surface of the foam.

It senses nearby objects

Tee said that when there is pressure on the material, the metal particles get closer. The movement changes their electrical properties. The electrical connections sense these changes and send information about them to a computer, which then tells the robot what to do.

"When I move my finger near the sensor⁴, you can see the sensor is measuring the changes of my electrical field and responds accordingly to my touch," he said.

The robotic hand senses not only the amount but also the direction of the force placed on it. That could make robots more intelligent and responsive.

Tee said AiFoam is the first material of its kind to combine self-healing properties with nearness and pressure sensing. After spending over two years developing it, Tee and his team hope the material can be put to use within five years.

The material will let "prosthetic users ... have more intuitive use of their robotic arms," he said.

Words in This Story

polymer – n. a chemical compound that is made of small molecules⁶ that are arranged in a simple repeating structure to form a larger molecule⁵

artificially –adv. not produced in a natural way; manufactured by people

prosthetic – n. an artificial device that replaces a missing or injured part of the body

accordingly – n. in a way that suits the facts, needs, or requirements of a situation

intuitive – adj. easily and quickly learned or understood

1 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

2 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

3 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

4 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

5 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

6 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。