Technology
The high-tech skin giving robots the human touch
We speak to the creators of Wootzkin, the electronic skin that will provide robots with a delicate touch.
This has not been a quick process, CEO and founder Atif Syed tells us: “The work around Wootzkin's core technology started in 2012 when I was doing my undergraduate studies,” he explains. “I wanted to create a flexible and compliant patch to deliver targeted drugs into the bloodstream, but then pivoted towards robotics and AI. We are a team of seven. We also specialise in machine learning/artificial intelligence where we train the robots to perform even better by using reinforcement based algorithms.”
As clever as robots are, they currently lack the dexterous abilities of humans and their ‘hands’ are unable to provide detailed data at the point of contact. Let’s take an apple, for example. If a robot picks one up without using Wootzkin, they would be unable to send data about whether it was soft or hard and the user would be unable to programme the robot to handle it delicately or not. As nice as our explanation is, however, we think it would be better for Syed to explain how his electronic skin works.
Wootzkin allows robots to gauge temperature, consistency and, er, smell
© Tracey Croggon/Wootzkin
“Whenever a force or pressure is applied onto the surface of the skin, it changes its resistance and generates voltage, capturing the magnitude of the force and pressure,” he says. “By using our complex machine learning algorithms we can potentially teach a robot how to grasp objects effectively and efficiently. The information from the Wootzkin is fed back to the control system of the arm which then instructs the hand to perform a dexterous task in the most delicate and efficient manner.”
Sounds like pretty straightforward AI engineering so far, right? Well, time to take you off the beaten track and tell you what Wootzkin is made of. Syed’s creation is constructed of multiple layers, each providing a different function. These layers are made of a biocompatible elastomer that can be found in french fries and other foods with the E900 code. Yes, you read correctly, we eat this robotic skin in our potato treats. Well, not quite, but part of it. The skin also has hundreds and thousands of bio-compatible nanostructures which gives the sensors unique properties and adds to its humanness.
As you can probably imagine, this was all a bit of a pickle to develop and Syed’s team faced a number of highs and lows throughout the development journey. We like positives here so asked him when the greatest eureka moment came.
Atif Syed showing off his creation
© Tracey Croggon/Wootzkin
“The biggest eureka moment was when I realised that a metal could be fabricated onto a soft and stretchable material using photo-lithography. We could bend, twist and stretch without causing damage,” Syed recounts in his best Archimedes impression. “This was very exciting and meant that I could create interesting devices onto the skin. The unique stack developed within Wootzkin makes the sensors resemble a human skin. In addition to adding temperature/humidity sensors, we were able to go beyond human evolution and allow the skin to "smell" a particular object when it comes in contact. This was all game-changing stuff!”
This is exciting. Once fully developed, a robotic hand using Wootzkin will be able to gauge the temperature, consistency and, er, smell of a target item. Returning to our apple analogy, Syed explains that the fruit industry is one of the key target markets for his product: “Robots picking or grasping delicate objects or that want to do dexterous jobs are where the technology is most suitable. We are heavily involved in fruit and vegetable picking, grasping, sorting and packaging by assisting the supply chain all the way to the distributors.”
The future of Wootzkin is a secret, according to Syed, but he has told us that they are looking to branch into the automotive and prosthetic industries soon, as well as applying the skin to feet. Soon we may see a fully skinned robot sniffing and squeezing objects from all ends of their body. If we want to make fun of it, at least we know it’ll have thick skin...