Highly Conductive Film That Can Stretch : DigInfo

DigInfo - http://www.diginfo.tv
In a world-leading initiative, a research group led by Takao Someya at the University of Tokyo has developed a material that has high electrical conductivity, but can stretch and contract like rubber. The group has used this material to make integrated circuits containing organic transistors.
Recently, carbon nanotubes dispersed in polymers have been used in efforts to create conductive materials that can stretch and contract. However, carbon nanotubes clump together, and this problem has prevented researchers from obtaining the desired characteristics. Someyas group solved the clumping problem by dispersing the nanotubes in an ionic liquid before mixing it with a polymer. The resulting material, with its uniformly dispersed nanotubes, shows hardly any change in electrical conductivity even when stretched by up to 70%.
Someyas group has used this elastic material to make a large integrated circuit, and is studying how to incorporate sensors for temperature, pressure, ultrasound, and light. Such a large, flexible sensor could be attached to the surface of a robot, to give the robot a sense of touch similar to that of human skin. The group is also working to create a flexible Braille display, by building in actuators instead of sensors. Artificial Skin

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[makstad]

Unless you were an engineer... then I'm sure you'd already be thinking of uses for it!

[DarkBlocker]

I can believe them using this for something similar to making artificial skin in which robotic limbs, or bodies will be able to sense something is touching them.....

Heh, we're almost to a Ghost In The Shell like era.

[obetdoie11]

good day!

I would like to ask if this artificial electronic skin sensor is available in the market? if this sensor is available please post the link here. thank you and god bless.

[cr9527]

Impressive, although not new. Such technologies were functional although expensive a few years ago.

[crrider12564]

That is a very cool tech. I'll need a few rolls of it for my Giant Killer Robot. Check my vids.

[jubasman2010]

this is the beguinning of clothes that cam transmit movies and ads holly shiit

[tomebaden]

that is awsome, wow.

[ifight4russia]

Something very special is HAPPININ!

[IzRzCool]

Finally I'll be able to wear my PC.

[IgnoredComment]

@martinzwanenburg But to be made for the general consumption means keeping it at low cost, THAT is the hard part.

[martinzwanenburg]

yeah,.. and the army and goverment is using that stuff already for 10 years!!

[hboy007]

speaking of "seeing is believing": they should have used an old-fashioned moving-coil instrument to visualize the conductivity over the elongation in the video.

I want to build a keyboard glove out of this stuff!