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New Material Could Give Robots ‘Skin’ with a Sense of Touch
Researchers in Singapore have developed an electronic material that helps robots sense touch and nearby objects.
The material is a kind of foam: a solid substance that is filled with air and is soft. And the foam has another useful quality. It repairs itself when damaged, much like human skin.
The material is called AiFoam, which is short for artificially innervated foam. To innervate means to supply with nerves. In robots, AiFoam would gather information from nearby and send it to a computer controlling the robot.
It 'heals' itself
AiFoam is a stretchy polymer combined with a mixture that lowers surface tension. This means that if you cut the material, it can return easily into one piece.
Benjamin Tee is a lead researcher on the new material at the National University of Singapore. He said there are many uses for such a material "especially in robotics and prosthetic devices, where robots need to be a lot more intelligent when working around humans."
To copy the human sense of touch, the researchers mixed microscopic pieces of metal into the material. Then they added very small electrical connections underneath the surface of the foam.
It senses nearby objects
Tee said that when there is pressure on the material, the metal particles get closer. The movement changes their electrical properties. The electrical connections sense these changes and send information about them to a computer, which then tells the robot what to do.
"When I move my finger near the sensor, you can see the sensor is measuring the changes of my electrical field and responds accordingly to my touch," he said.
The robotic hand senses not only the amount but also the direction of the force placed on it. That could make robots more intelligent and responsive.
Tee said AiFoam is the first material of its kind to combine self-healing properties with nearness and pressure sensing. After spending over two years developing it, Tee and his team hope the material can be put to use within five years.
The material will let "prosthetic users ... have more intuitive use of their robotic arms," he said.
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重点解析
重点讲解：
1. be filled with 被...充满
The boy's eyes filled with tears.
那男孩的眼里充满了泪水。
2. electronic material 电子材料
Electronic material industry occupies an important place in the national economy.
电子材料工业在整个国民经济中占有重要地位。
3. according to 根据；按照；据...所说
Everything went according to plan.
一切均按照计划进行。
4. be combined with 与...结合；与...联合
In English study, intensive reading must be combined with extensive reading.
在英语学习中，精读必须与泛读结合起来。
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参考译文
智能泡沫为机器人提供“自愈皮肤”
新加坡的研究人员开发了一种电子材料，可以帮助机器人感知触觉和周遭的物体。
这种材料是一种泡沫：一种满是气孔的固体物质，手感柔软。这种泡沫还有另一个有用的特性。它在受损时可以自我修复，就像人类的皮肤一样。
这种材料名为AiFoam（人工神经支配），是“artificial innervated foam”的缩写。所谓“神经支配”是指“以神经供给”。在机器人中，AiFoam会从附近收集信息，并将其发送给控制机器人的计算机。
自我愈合
AiFoam是一种具有弹力的聚合物，与一种降低表面张力的化合物混合而成。这意味着这种材料在切割时可以轻易地融合成一片。
Benjamin Tee是新加坡国立大学研究这种新材料的首席研究员。他说，这种材料应用广泛，“尤其是在机器人和假肢设备方面，机器人在服务人类时需要变得更加智能。”
为了复制人类的触觉，研究人员将微小的金属碎片掺杂到这类材料中。然后，他们在泡沫表面下添加了微小的电极。
感知周围物体
Tee表示，当对这种材料施加压力时，金属颗粒会靠拢。这种动作改变了它们的电性能。电极感知到这些变化，并将相关信息发送给计算机，然后计算机告诉机器人该做什么。
他说:“当我把手指移到传感器附近时，可以看到传感器正在测量我的电场变化，并对我的触摸做出相应的反应。”
这只机器人手不仅能感知施加在它身上的力度大小，还能感知到受力的方向。这将使机器人更加智能和灵敏。
Tee表示，AiFoam是第一种将自愈性能与近距离和压力传感结合在一起的材料。经过两年多的研发，Tee和他的团队希望这种材料能在五年内投入使用。
这种材料将让“安装假肢的用户……更直观地使用他们的机器人手臂，”他说道。
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