Electronic Skin

The ability to capture vital physiological measurements both remotely and in real time seems like science fiction. Even in our modern imaginations, monitors are still bulky devices with tangled wires. The idea of an “electronic skin” was first introduced to enhance robotics, allowing robots to sense pressure and respond appropriately to object gripping. Now, engineers at the University of Illinois have taken a first step toward creating an electronic epidermis that can, in theory, extract biological information through a skin patch.

The researchers created an ultrathin, low-modulus, stretchable “skin-like” membrane into which electrodes, electronics, sensors, power supply, and communication components are cofabricated. This “epidermal electr…