The European orbit Agency (ESA) has chosen the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) to design a smart skin for robot arms that will be deployed in orbit.
This is in accordance with a report released on Thursday by Printed Electronics.
As robots continue to proliferate throughout the earth, they also command attention in outer space. This necessitates that the machines get along well with their human coworkers and can resist the severe conditions of space, including radiation, low pressure, and abrupt temperature changes.
We’ll create and test a smart skin to improve robots’ suitability for upcoming space travel. Advanced surface sensors and alert panels that might help the robots detect and prevent potential accidents with environmental items are being tested. As a result, they will be strong and secure support systems for astronauts in space, according to DTI senior consultant Christian Dalsgaard.
The researchers want to create a new type of soft, 3D-printable smart skin for robots that is specially created with electronic components that can be printed right into fabrics. The skin’s engineering procedure will make it suitable for usage in space and enable the robots to carry out a variety of activities while wearing it.
“We must look into materials that can shield against radiation, dust, and significant temperature changes. We will also introduce new production techniques for space equipment through the use of contemporary 3D printing and printed electronics, Dalsgaard added.
According to the experts, this advancement will result in devices that can help people in space.
“Robots have a lot of potential in space, where they may assist with everything from scientific research to space station maintenance and resource extraction. Sending a robot rather of a person is both more cost-effective and safer. However, it necessitates that they be exceedingly durable, according to Jacob Kortbek, director of Printed Electronics at DTI.
Investigating whether and how we can go beyond what robots can do in space to assist will be intriguing.
The development project’s initial phase is anticipated to be finished in March 2024. A number of efforts are currently under way to create smart skin for robots that is not only self-healing but also gives the machines a tactile feeling.
Smart electronic skin has been developed by a team of scientists from Edinburgh, who say it “gives robots for the first time a level of physical self-awareness similar to that of people and animals.”
Robots can now feel like humans thanks to a multi-layer, self-healing synthetic electronic skin that Stanford scientists have developed.
