Future televisions will be stretchable and care robots will be soft

In just over a decade, many of the electronic devices we use on a daily basis will likely be stretchable and flexible. Mobile phones could be rolled up and small TV screens stretched out into wide home theatre screens.

A research group led by Assistant Professor of Materials Engineering Vipul Sharma from the University of Turku, Finland, has developed a new method for manufacturing flexible electronics. The researchers create flexible electronics by mimicking structures found in nature, such as those seen in tree leaves.

“We aim for high efficiency but only use environmentally friendly materials. We have developed flexible electronic materials that are stretchable, breathable, conductive, and transparent. That is why they are better than other similar materials,” says Vipul Sharma.

First, the researchers used a new method to produce a material that functions as an electronic skin. They tested the material by attaching it to a robotic hand. The electronic skin proved to be functional: the pressure sensor incorporated into it responded to touch, making tactile sensation possible for the robotic hand.

In the future, the electronic skin can be used in prosthetics. Thanks to this material, a person wearing a prosthesis will be able to sense pressure, temperature, and humidity, for example.

Soft robots for healthcare, industry, and extreme conditions

Flexible electronics are also utilised in soft robots that in the future will be encountered in hospitals, industry, and rescue services, among other places.

A soft robot could take on the heaviest tasks of the hospital staff, such as lifting patients. In industry, soft robots are particularly needed for handling fragile objects.

Unlike traditional robots, soft robots can fit into small spaces, when necessary, which makes it possible to use them in underground rescue operations. A great deal of research is also being conducted into the use of soft robots in space.

“Together with my research team, we have built soft equipment that could be used for rehabilitating patients’ limbs in healthcare, for example. It is important that robots designed to assist patients are soft so that they feel comfortable and function safely,” says Anastasia Koivikko, Assistant Professor of Automation Engineering from the University of Turku, Finland, who is developing soft robots for healthcare and industry use.

New sustainable options to reduce environmental strain

The researchers use materials such as silicone to make robots, but they are currently looking for more environmentally friendly alternatives. The electronics used in robots, such as the sensors that detect the environment, also need to be soft.

Typically, a soft robot can be made to move by using compressed air. It can, for example, bounce up in the desired direction from a small space. Motion can also be produced using electricity, light, or fluids.

“Soft robots are suitable for many tasks, but they have not yet been widely commercialised. An intelligent robot could, for example, detect when fruit and berries are ripe and pick them. A soft robot can also work in environments hazardous to humans, such as a nuclear power plant with high levels of radiation,” says Koivikko.

The researchers are developing the next generation of electronics and robotics using environmentally friendly and cost-effective materials. The aim is to develop new sustainable systems that place less strain on the environment than current production methods.

For the research group of Assistant Professor Vipul Sharma, the most important material is biomass produced from Finnish wood. Sharma would like to see Finland make better use of its native timber resources.

“Forests are Finland’s oil. No other country in Europe has a similar access to timber. Currently, many of the materials used in electronics come from China. Finnish biomass has great potential on the international market,” says Sharma.