NIE ACTIVITY

Science
MATTERS! … IN CONNECTICUT
Science Matters! is a series presented in
collaboration with the Connecticut Academy of
Science and Engineering. An Electronic Skin with
For more information, visit www.ctcase.org
or call 860.571.7143. Superhuman Capabilities
Abdelsalam Ahmed, postdoctoral fellow, Dep. Of Mechanical Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada
Islam M. Mosa, postdoctoral fellow, Dep. Of Chemistry, University of Connecticut
James Rusling, Professor of Chemistry, University of Connecticut and CASE Member

The interaction of humans to their surroundings and the exchanging of information is done through our 5 senses – smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch. Many people
worldwide are struggling due to the loss of one or more of these senses. A challenging question for many research scientists: Is it possible for electronic devices to help
patients get back their lost senses even partially? Well, in the last decade, electronic skin has shown great promise to help patients regain the feel of touch. Although
prosthetics allowed patients who lost their arms or legs to restore some important functionality, they cannot feel through them. One of the main goals of electronic skin
research is to allow a person to feel through his/her prosthetic arm the hot and cold, the texture of surfaces, and the pressure when shaking hands with someone else.

The technology of electronic skin relies on the fabrication of flexible and stretchable devices that can produce
electrical signals in response to surrounding stimuli in the environment. These resulting electrical signals can be
transferred through the nerves of the patients to the brain where it will be recognized. This technology is not ready
yet for patients, but many research groups around the world are making improvements and we are getting closer.

Wait a minute, can we develop an electronic skin that has

extra-human capabilities; a skin that can do what human
skin cannot? This question was exciting to our collaborative
research group from the University of Toronto and the
University of Connecticut. Guess what? We made it! We fabricated an e-skin that can warn humans of possible
exposure to danger. Our new e-skin is based on a technology called triboelectric nanogenerator. It is composed
of a silicone tube filled with a solution containing a magnetic nanoparticle called Ferro-fluid, which was invented
by NASA. This tube is wrapped with a thin copper wire. When the tube is exposed to a magnetic field, sound
waves, or a mechanical touch, the nanoparticles inside the tube move and hit the inside walls and generate an
electrical signal in response to these outside stimuli. This smart e-skin, for example, can send a wireless signal
to a smartphone to warn the person of a nearby high magnetic field to avoid. Because this technology is made
of water-proof materials, it could also work underwater as a drowning sensor. The potential uses of this smart
technology are endless.

SKILLS and KNOWLEDGE Meet the Scientist

Patience and passion are the two hidden skills of this work.
Passion and excitement make the researcher aim to tackle a
real challenge to help others, while patience is equally vital as
things usually do not work the first time. As for the technical
skills, this work is at the interface between electronics, materials
science, and engineering, biology and chemistry.
Abdelsalam Ahmed is a material engineering interested in design and fabrication of
smart wearable and implantable systems towards continuous health monitoring and
disease prevention. Islam M. Mosa is a chemist, and an entrepreneur whose research
tackles different challenges ranging from early cancer detection to implantable and
wearable devices. He then then seeks to translate the resulting devices to the market.
James F. Rusling is a professor of chemistry with a research focus on cancer diagnostics
and toxicity screening. He has authored more than 400 research papers and books, and
is a musician interested in Irish and American folk styles.

WORDS to know
Electronic skin (e-skin): refers to flexible, stretchable and self-healing electronics that
are able to mimic functionalities of human or animal skin.
Nanoparticles or nanomaterials: Extremely small units (particles); each particle is a
billionth of the meter.
Triboelectric Nanogenerator: a device which mainly converts mechanical motion into
electrical current; fabrication involves nanomaterials.
hyperlinks
https://futurism.com/artificial-electronic-skin-could-alert-danger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_skin
For Students and Teachers Making
Curriculum Connections, see the following:
Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) -
Common Core State Standards (CCSS): Mathematics
• CCSS.Math.Practice.MP1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
• CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
• CCSS.Math.Practice.MP5 Use appropriate tools strategically
CSDE - Next Generation Science Standards: Scientific and Engineering Practices
• Asking questions and defining problems; developing and using models; planning and carrying
out investigations; analyzing and interpreting data; using Mathematics and computational
thinking; constructing explanations and designing solutions; engaging in argument from
evidence; and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.