A Technical Report on

FLEXIBLE ELECTRONIC SKIN

Submitted to

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

The award of Degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

In

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

By

CHERUKU SRIVARSHA

166Y1A0412

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

SUMATHI REDDY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR WOMEN

(Approved by AICTE, New Delhi; Affiliated to JNTU, Hyderabad)

Ananthasagar (Vill), Hasanparthy (M), Warangal

2019-20
 SUMATHI REDDY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR WOMEN

(Approved by AICTE, New Delhi; Affiliated to JNTUH, Hyderabad)

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the technical report entitled “FLEXIBLE ELECTRONIC

SKIN” submitted to JNTUH presented by CHERUKU SRIVARSHA(166Y1A0412) of IV
B.Tech in the partial fulfillment for the award of the B.Tech Degree in Electronics and
Communication Engineering during the academic year2019-20.

Mr. K.RAVIKIRAN Mr. SHYAM SUNDER.MERUGU

Assistant Professor Assistant Professor
Seminar Supervisor Head of Dept., ECE

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 ABSTRACT

Electronics plays a very important role in developing simple devices used for any purpose. In
every field electronic equipments are required. The best achievement as well as future
example of integrated electronics in medical field is Artificial Skin. It is ultrathin electronics
device attaches to the skin like a sick on tattoo which can measure electrical activity of heart,
brain waves & other vital signals. Artificial skin is skin grown in a laboratory. It can be used
as skin replacement for people who have suffered skin trauma, such as severe burns or skin
diseases, or robotic applications. This paper focuses on the Artificial skin(E-Skin) to build a
skin work similar to that of the human skin and also it is embedded with several sensations or
the sense of touch acting on the skin. This skin is already being stitched together. It consists
of millions of embedded electronic measuring devices: thermostats, pressure gauges,
pollution detectors, cameras, microphones, glucose sensors, EKGs, electronic holographs.
This device would enhance the new technology which is emerging and would greatly increase
the usefulness of robotic probes in areas where the human cannot venture. The sensor could
pave the way for a overabundance of new applications that can wirelessly monitor the vitals
and body movements of a patient sending information directly to a computer that can log and
store data to better assist in future decisions. This paper offers an insight view of the internal
structure, fabrication process and different manufacturing processes.

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 CONTENTS

Chapter No. DESCRIPTION Page No.

1 Introduction 1
2 History 2
3 Architecture of E-Skin 3-5
4 Fabrication of E-Skin 6-9
4.1.By using zinc oxide with vertical nanowires
4.2.By using Gallium Indium

5 5.1.Advantages andDisadvantages 10
5.2.Applications 11
5.3.Future Scope 12
5.4.Conclusion 12
5.5.References 13

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 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

Electronics plays a very important role in developing simple devices used for any
purpose. In every field electronic equipments are required. The best achievement
as well as future example of integrated electronics in medical field is Artificial
Skin. It is ultrathin electronics device attaches to the skin like a sick on tattoo
which can measure electrical activity of heart, brain waves & other vital signals.
Evolution in robotics is demanding increased perception of the environment.
Human skin provides sensory perception of temperature, touch/pressure, and air
flow. Goal is to develop sensors on flexible substrates that are compliant to curved
surfaces. Researcher’s objective is for making an artificial skin is to make a
revolutionary change in robotics, in medical field, in flexible electronics. Skin is
large organ in human body so artificial skin replaces it according to our need.
Main objective of artificial skin is to sense heat, pressure, touch, airflow and
whatever which human skin sense. It is replacement for prosthetic limbs and
robotic arms.
Artificial skin is skin grown in a laboratory. There are various names of
artificial skin in biomedical field it is called as artificial skin, in our electronics
field it is called as electronic skin, some scientist it called as sensitive skin, in other
way it also called as synthetic skin, some people says that it is fake skin. Such
different names are available but application is same it is skin replacement for
people who have suffered skin trauma,such as severe burns or skin diseases, or
robotic applications & so on. An artificial skin has also been recently
demonstrated at the University of Cincinnati for in-vitro sweat simulation and
testing, capable of skin-like texture, wetting, sweat pore- density, and sweat rates.

Fig. Artificial Skin

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 CHAPTER 2
HISTORY

Electronic skin or e-skin is a thin material designed to mimic human skin byrecognising
pressure and temperature. In September 2010, Javey and the University of California,
Berkeley developed a method of attaching nanowire transistors and pressure sensors to a
sticky plastic film. In August 2011, Massachusetts-based MC10 created an electronic patch
for monitoring patient's vital health signs which was described as 'electric skin'. The 'tattoos'
were created by embedding sensors in a thin film. During tests, the device stayed in place for
24 hours and was flexible enough to move with the skin it was placed on. Javey's latest
electronic skin lights up when touched. Pressure triggers a reaction that lights up blue, green,
red, and yellow LEDs and as pressure increases the lights get brighter. Artificial skin
identified by different name in a same way it is developed in different laboratories such as in
MIT (Massatucetes institute of technology), in Tokyo led by Takao Someya, The Fraunhofer
Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, and so on. In this report we see the
different methods of manufacturing of artificial skin of different scientist & its application
with its future scope.Another form of ―artificial skin‖ has been created out of flexible
semiconductor materials that can sense touch for those with prosthetic limbs. The artificial
skin is anticipated to augment robotics in conducting rudimentary jobs that would be
considered delicate and require sensitive ―touch‖. Scientists found that by applying a layer
of rubber with two parallel electrodes that stored electrical charges inside of the artificial
skin, tiny amounts of pressure could be detected. When pressure is exerted, the electrical
charge in the rubber is changed and the change is detected by the electrodes. However, the
film Takao Someya

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 CHAPTER 3
ARCHITECTURE OF E-SKIN

With the interactive e-skin, demonstration is takes place an elegant system on plastic that can
be wrapped around different objects to enable a new form of HMI. Other companies,
including Massachusetts-based engineering firm MC10, have created flexible electronic
circuits that are attached to a wearer's skin using a rubber stamp. MC10 originally designed
the tattoos, called Biostamps, to help medical teams measure the health of their patients is so
small that when pressure is applied to the skin, the molecules have nowhere to move and
become entangled. The molecules also fail to return to their original shape when the pressure
is removed.Sensitive skin, also known as sensate skin, is an electronic sensing skin placed on
the surface of a machine such as a robotic arm. The goal of the skin is to sense important
environmental parameters—such as proximity to objects, heat, moisture, and direct touch
sensations. Examples of a sensitive skin have been made by a group in Tokyo led by either
remotely, or without the need for large expensive machinery.Fig 2 shows the various parts
that make up the MC10 electronic tattoo called the Biostamp. It can be stuck to the body
using a rubber stamp, and protected using spray-on bandages. The circuit can be worn for two
weeks and Motorola believes this makes it perfect for authentication purposes.Biostamp use
high-performance silicon, can stretch up to 200 per cent and can monitor temperature,
hydration and strain, among other medical statistics.Javey's study claims that while building
sensors into networks isn't new, interactive displays; being able to recognize touch and
pressure and have the flexible circuit respond to it is 'breakthrough'. His team is now working
on a sample that could also register and respond to changes in temperature and light to make
the skin even more lifelike.

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Large-area ultrasonic sensor arrays that could keep both robots and humans out of trouble. An
ultrasonic skin covering an entire robot body could work as a 360-degree proximity sensor,
measuring the distance between the robot and external obstacles.This could prevent the robot
from crashing into walls or allow it to handle our soft, fragile human bodies \with more care.
For humans, it could provide prosthetics or garments that are hyperaware of their
surroundings. Besides adding multiple functions to e- skins, it’s also important to improve
their electronic properties, such as the speed at which signals can be read from the sensors.
For that, electron mobility is a fundamental limiting factor, so some researchers are seeking
to create flexible materials that allow electrons to move very quickly. Ali Javey and his
colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, have hadsome success in that area. They
figured out how to make flexible, large-area electronics by printing semiconducting
nanowires onto plastics and paper. Nanowires have excellent electron mobility, but they
hadn’t been used in large-area electronics before. Materials like the ones Javey developed
will also allow for fascinating new functions for e-skins. My team has developed
electromagnetic coupling technology for eskin, which would enable wireless power
transmission. Imagine being able to charge your prosthetic arm by resting your hand on a
charging pad on your desk. In principle, any sort of conductor could work for this, but if
materials with higher electron mobility are used, the transmission frequency could increase,
resulting in more efficient coupling. Linking sensors with radio-frequency communication
modules within an e-skin would also allow the wireless transmission of information from
skin to computer—or, conceivably, to other e-skinned people. At the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, John Rogers’s team has taken the first step toward this goal. His latest
version of an ―electrical epidermis‖contained the antenna and ancillary components needed
for radio- frequency communication. What’s more, his electronics can be laminated onto your
skin in the same fashion as a temporary tattoo. The circuit is first transferred onto a water-
soluble plastic sheet, which washes away after the circuit is pressed on.

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Doctors could use these tiny devices to monitor a patient’s vital signs without the need for
wires and bulky contact pads, and people could wear them discreetly beyond the confines of
the hospital. Rogers and his colleagues tried out a number of applications for their stick-on
electronics. In their most astonishing iteration, they applied circuitry studded with sensors
to a person’s throat where it could detect the muscular activity involved in speech. Simply
by monitoring the signals, researchers were able to differentiate among several words spoken
by the test subject. The user was even able to control a voice- activated video game. Rogers
suggested that such a device could be used to create covert, sub vocal communication
systems.

Fig. E-Skin attaches to hand

Skins that know what we’re saying without having to say it, skins that can communicate
themselves, skins that extend our human capacities in directions we haven’t yet imagined the
possibilities are endless. And while some readers may worry about e-skins being used to
invade the privacy of their bodies or minds, I believe the potential benefits of this technology
offer plenty of reasons to carry on with the work. For example, the car company Toyota has
already demonstrated a smart steering wheel that measures the electrical activity of the
driver’s heart; imagine a smart skin that can warn a patient of an oncoming heart attack hours
in advance. Human skin is so thin, yet it serves as a boundary between us and the external
world. My dream is to make responsive electronic coverings that bridge that divide. Instead
of cold metal robots and hard plastic prosthetics, I imagine machines and people clothed in
sensitive e-skin, allowing for a two- way exchange of information. Making our mechanical
creations seem almost warm and alive and placing imperceptible electronics on humans will
change how people relate to technology

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 CHAPTER 4
FABRICATION OF E-SKIN

4.1 By using zinc oxide with vertical nanowires

Fig. Zinc oxide with vertical nanowires e-skin

U.S. and Chinese Scientists used zinc oxide vertical nanowires to generate sensitivity.
According to experts, the artificial skin is "smarter and similar to human skin." It also offers
greater sensitivity and resolution than current commercially available techniques. A group
ofChinese and American scientists created experimental sensors to give robots artificial skin
capable of feeling. According to experts, the sensitivity is comparable to that experienced by
humans. Trying to replicate the body's senses and indeed its largest organ, the skin, has been
no mean feat but the need for such a substitute has been needed for a while now, especially in
cases of those to whom skin grafts have not worked or indeed its use in robotics. To achieve
this sensitivity, researchers created a sort of flexible and transparent electronics sheet of about
eight thousand transistors using vertical nanowires of zinc oxide

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4.2 By using Gallium Indium

The development of highly deformable artificial skin with contact force (or pressure) and
strain sensing capabilities is a critical technology to the areas of wearable computing, haptic
interfaces, and tactile sensing in robotics. With tactile sensing, robots are expected to work
more autonomously and be more responsive to unexpected contacts by detecting contact
forces during activities such as manipulation and assembly The first plasma antenna concepts
were essentially linear antennas with conductors replaced by plasmas. The basic concept is
illustrated in Figure 11 for a loop-shaped antenna [21]. The gas can be ionized using
electrodes with sufficient voltage, or by using an EM field to excite the gas.

By using Organic Transistors

Fig. E-Skin by using organic transistors

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4.2.1 By Nature Journal

In July they reported the success of our experiments in the journal Nature. They fabricated
organic transistors and tactile sensors on an ultrathin polymer sheet that measured Skin is
essentially an interface between your brain and the external world. It senses a tap on the
shoulder or the heat from a fire, and your brain takes in that information and decides how to
react. If we want bionic skins to do the same, they must incorporate sensors that can match
the sensitivity of biological skins. But that is no easy task. For example, a commercial
pressure-sensitive rubber exhibits a maximum sensitivity of 3 kilopascals, which is not
sufficient to detect a gentle touch. To improve an e-skin’sresponsiveness to such stimuli,
researchers are experimenting with a number of different techniques. ZhenanBao and her
colleagues at Stanford University created a flexible membrane with extraordinarily good

4.2.2 By Organic Light Emitting Diode

Fig. E-skin using OLED

Javey and colleagues set out to make the electronic skin respond optically. The
researchers combined a conductive, pressure-sensitive rubber material, organic
light emitting diodes (OLEDs), and thin-film transistors made of
semiconductor-enriched carbon nanotubes to
build an array of pressure sensing, light-emitting pixels. Whereas a system with
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this kind of function is relatively simple to fabricate on a silicon surface, ―for
plastics, this is one of the more complex systems that has ever been
demonstrated,‖ says Javey. The diversity of materials and components that the
researchers combined to make the light-emitting pressure-sensor array is
impressive, says John Rogers, a professor of materials science at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rogers, whose group has produced its own
impressive flexible electronic sensors (see ―Electronic Sensors Printed
Directly on the Skin‖), says the result illustrates how research in nanomaterials
is transitioning from the fundamental study of components and simple devices
to the development of ―sophisticated, macroscale demonstrator devices, with
unique function.‖ In this artist's illustration of the University of California,
Berkeley's interactive e-skin, the brightness of the light directly

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 CHAPTER 5
5.1 ADVANTAGES

In this general information about electronic skin is shown and also a fabrication of
electronic skin is given. From them we can say that electronic skin
1. Reduces number of wires
2. Compact in size
3. Attachment and detachment is easy
4. More flexible
5. Light in weight
6. It replaces present system of ECG and EEG
7. It gives sense to a robot
8. Wearable
9. Ultrathin
10. Twistable & stretchable
11. Easy to handle

5.2 DISADVANTAGES

1.Continuous emission of dead cells does not take place

2. Transpiration doesn’t take properly

3. Single use

4. Cost is high

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 5.3 APPLICATIONS

 When the skin has been seriously damaged through disease or burns then human skin
 is replaced by Artificial skin.
 It is also used for robots. Robot senses the pressure, touch, moisture, temperature,
 proximity to object.
 It can measure electrical activity of the heart, brain waves, muscle activity and
 other vital signals.
 By using interfacial stress sensor we also measure normal stress & shear stress.
 Localized electrical stimulation: This is a ―smart
 bandage’’. Temperature is changes across a wound.

Fig. Smart bandage using e-skin

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 5.4 FUTURE SCOPE

 Bendable sensors and displays have made the tech rounds before.
 We can predict a patient of an oncoming heart attack hours in advance.
 In future even virtual screens may be placed on device for knowing our body
functions.
 Used in car dashboard, interactive wallpapers, smart watches.

5.5 CONCLUSION

The electronics devices gain more demand when they are compact in size and best at
functioning. The Artificial Skin is one such device which depicts the beauty of electronics
and its use in daily life. Scientists create artificial skin that emulates human touch. According
to experts, the artificial skin is "smarter and similar to human skin." It also offers greater
sensitivity and resolution than current commercially available techniques. Bendable sensors
and displays have made the tech rounds before. We can predict a patient of an oncoming heart
attack hours in advance. In future even virtual screens may be placed on device for knowing
our body functions. Used in car dashboard, interactive wallpapers, smart watches

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 5.6 REFERENCES

[1] IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol.12,No.8, August 12 Massachusetts

engineering firm MC 10
[2] Nature materials
[3] ICap Technologies, http://www.icaptech.com/.
[4] Artificial Skin - used, first, blood, body, produced, Burke and Yannas Create
Synthetic Skin, Graftskin.
[5] Discoveries in medicine.com. 2010-03-11. Retrieved 2013-10-17. How is artificial
skin made?: Information from". Answers.com.
[6] Retrieved 2013-10-17.
[7] Robotic Tactile Sensing. Springer. p. 265. ISBN 978-94-007-0578-4. Park, B.
Chen, and R. J. Wood (Oct. 2011), Soft artificial skin with multimodal sensing
capability using embedded liquid conductors,
[8] Proc. IEEE Sensors Conf., Limerick, Ireland, pp. 1–3.
[9] S. P. Lacour (Aug. 2005) et al., Stretchable interconnects for elastic electronic
surfaces, Proc. IEEE, vol. 93, pp. 1459–1467.

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