artificial skin that revolutionizes touch

Paralympic athletes or the crippled of life can take advantage of ever more sophisticated mechanical prostheses today. However, a new discovery by Canadian researchers will change their lives, the electric skin made of plastic and gelatin. “For us, the term ionic skin is the most appropriate. What we experienced here is really the magic of science: discovering something unexpected. We did not expect to produce an electrical system like this and yet we have known these materials like gelatin for centuries“, testifies Professor John Maddendirector of advanced materials at the University of British Columbia.

In the human body, all of our senses convey their information in electrical impulses through our neural system. Prostheses are now trying to reproduce this, but the Canadian team thought of gelatin which when pressed”generates an ion current sufficient to stimulate the human nervous system”according to the teacher Madden. It will make you feel touch, hot and cold. The electric skin will not hit the market for several years.