Currently many scientists and artificial intelligence enthusiasts are discussing ways to bridge the gap between humans and artificial intelligence in order to make the next big step in our development as a species. One such example is, of course, Elon Musk and his ongoing Neuralink project -- a brain-machine interface that is expected to integrate humans with AI by surgically implanting processors into our brains-- but we will talk about that somewhat scary project another time.
For scientists working to restore functionality to patients with paralysis or prosthetics, bridging this gap has much broader meaning. Building smart mind-controlled robotic limbs isn’t enough; the next goal is restoring sensation in artificial body parts. To truly bridge the gap between the two, the AI part has to feel at on with the body.
(The team that created ACES)
A team based at the National University of Singapore took inspiration from our largest organ, the skin. Mimicking the neural architecture of biological skin, the engineered “electronic skin” not only senses temperature, pressure, and humidity, but continues to function even when scraped or otherwise damaged. Thanks to artificial nerves that transmit signals far faster than our biological ones, the flexible e-skin shoots electrical data 1,000 times quicker than human nerves. While flexible electronic skins aren't new, this team managed to upgrade the speed and durability of the model, their revolution is called ACES.
Asynchronous Coded Electronic Skin (ACES)
Starting from a combination of rubber, plastic, and silicon, the team embedded over 200 sensors onto the electronic skin, each capable of distinguishing contact, pressure, temperature, and humidity. They then looked to the skin’s nervous system for inspiration. Our skin is embedded with a dense array of nerve endings that individually transmit different types of sensations, which are integrated inside hubs called ganglia.
Rather than pairing each sensor with a dedicated receiver, ACES sends all sensory data to a single receiver—an artificial ganglion, which allows it to work as a whole system, as opposed to individual electrodes. Every sensor transmits its data using a characteristic pulse, which allows it to be uniquely identified by the receiver. Because of it working as a whole, the transmission rate is roughly 1,000 times faster than that of human skin.
Another advantage is that, because data from individual sensors is combined, the system still functioned even when any individual receptors are damaged, making it far more resilient compared to older models. Although the team conducted the test with 240 sensors, in theory the system could easily be scaled up and should work with up to 10,000.
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