Chinese university develops super cold-resistant e-skin for polar exploration

TIANJIN -- Researchers from China's Tianjin University have developed a new type of electronic skin for robotic hands, capable of functioning in extreme cold environments as low as minus 78 degrees Celsius. This innovation represents a great boon for the country's polar exploration.

The article about the highly stretchable, self-healing, and sensitive electronic-skin has been published on the Journal of the American Chemical Society, according to Zhang Lei and Yang Jing, who led the research team at the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology of Tianjin University.

Ultralow temperature-tolerant electronic skins can provide polar robots with tactile feedback, enhancing their ability to explore polar environments.

As early as in 2020, the team developed the all-weather self-healing electronic skin, and the new version has been comprehensively upgraded, Yang told Xinhua on Thursday.

The new electronic skins can be wrapped around a robot's palm, accurately sensing pressure and recognizing the shape of objects and specific symbols under the extreme cold conditions of minus 78 degrees Celsius, according to the researchers.

In addition, it has a self-healing function. Even After sustaining damage in extreme cold conditions, its transmission capability can be fully restored, making it adaptable for polar scientific research missions.

"We look forward to the broader application prospects of this new achievement in China's polar scientific research and other research fields," said Yang.