VOA标准英语2015--Researchers Create Artificial Skin With Sense of Touch

 

Researchers Create Artificial Skin With Sense of Touch

Scientists have recently made considerable gains in creating human-like artificial limbs, but they still look and feel artificial. That could change with a development from South Korea. Researchers say they have come up with a synthetic¹ skin that not only feels warm but also has the sense of touch and moisture.

Artificial robotic hands are getting increasingly better at emulating² human hands and the most advanced can even be controlled by thoughts.

But people who wear bionic hands must rely on their sight to know what they are touching³ or grasping.

Now, though, researchers in South Korea and the U.S. say they have created a stretchable artificial skin that can register heat, pressure and moisture.

This polymer-based elastic⁴ material is not designed to replace damaged human skin, such as in burn victims, but rather to provide high-resolution sensory⁶ capabilities⁷ for prosthetic limbs or for the limbs of humanoid robots.

Team leader Kim Dae-Hyeong, a professor at the Seoul National University School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, says its sensors⁸ are an exact copy of human skin.

“The skin can feel pressure, temperature, strain, humidity," said Kim. "Also it is soft, just like human skin, and embedded⁹ with heating elements that can make itself warm.”

Kim says the artificial skin is made of a combination of rubber, polyamide and silicon¹⁰ with sensor⁵ density¹¹ of up to 400 per square millimeter.

An artificial hand wrapped in the new skin could distinguish between dry and moist objects and measure the pressure of the grasp.

But Kim says what it still can not do is send those signals to a human brain. That, he says, is the scientists’ ultimate goal.

“I hope a robotic limb with this synthetic skin can be used by disabled people. For industrial uses, it can be applied¹² to various types of robots, like a humanoid robot," said Kim.

Scientists say with this sensitive skin, robots may someday be able to type on keyboards and even change a baby’s wet diaper.

1 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

2 emulating   

v.与…竞争( emulate的现在分词 )；努力赶上；计算机程序等仿真；模仿

参考例句：

• The possibilities of producing something entirely new by emulating nature's very wide crosses are enticing. 用自然界的非常广泛的杂交方法创造出全新植物种的可能性是诱人的。 来自辞典例句
• The human emulating this archetypal patterning will be quite the accomplished businessperson. 这类原型模式者会是一个很成功的商人。 来自互联网

3 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

4 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

5 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

6 sensory   

adj.知觉的，感觉的，知觉器官的

参考例句：

• Human powers of sensory discrimination are limited.人类感官分辨能力有限。
• The sensory system may undergo long-term adaptation in alien environments.感觉系统对陌生的环境可能经过长时期才能适应。

7 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

9 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

10 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

11 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

12 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。