AssetID: 53342187
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Scientists Develop 'Electronic Tattoo' That Allows You To 'Touch' Someone Remotely
Caption: A new ultra-thin wearable device - as thin as a temporary tattoo - is capable of replicating the sense of being touched remotely. The groundbreaking technology has been developed at the Centre for Materials Interfaces of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Pontedera, Italy. The electronic tattoo, designed by IIT researchers Arianna Mazzotta and Virgilio Mattoli, is a few micrometers thick and generates a tactile sensation, creating a force that pushes against the wearer's skin. Demonstrating the functionality of a single 'tactile' dot, the researchers are actively working on implementing displays featuring multiple tactile pixels, known as taxels. These taxels can be independently activated, enabling the reproduction of letters, numbers, and dynamic patterns on the skin. You could even keep in touch with loved ones, literally! Resembling a temporary tattoo, the device is small, easy to wear, and applies a highly localised force, restoring tactile sensation to the skin it adheres to. Operating on an electro-thermo-pneumatic actuation strategy, the device rapidly heats a small volume of enclosed air between two thin films, generating forces and displacements on the skin and producing the tactile sensation. The device's virtually undetectable thickness once applied to the skin is crucial for its potential use as a tactile display. Additionally, it operates on a small battery, ensuring safety for the wearer at low voltages. Preliminary usage tests have shown promising results, suggesting the potential for this technology to become a new standard in manufacturing lightweight, portable, and energy-efficient tactile displays. The innovative system, described in a recent paper published in the prestigious journal Advanced Electronic Materials, represents a significant leap in tactile technology.
Keywords: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia,tattoo,touch,electronics,robotics,tech
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