Intelligent robots for material composition and biomolecule identification

This technology introduces an integrated smart TENS within a robotic platform for material identification via contact electrification. TENS uses a self-powered tactile sensing mechanism to accurately identify material composition and amino acids. It features micro-pyramidal structures made from Ecoflex material, with NaCl solution as the electrolyte conductor, enhancing stretchability and sensitivity. Integrated into robotic fingertips, TENS generates triboelectric output signals during contact and separation, which are used for material identification and wirelessly transmitted to a computer. Elevated temperatures were found to affect electronic structure changes, altering triboelectric output signals. In stability tests, TENS showed excellent response behavior under various stretching conditions, maintaining stable performance even when stretched to 150% of its original size. After 5000 bending cycles, TENS continued to produce stable output signals. Market analysis indicates a growing demand for multifunctional, efficient sensors driven by the rapid expansion of smart robots and IoT applications. It is estimated that over 30 billion sensors will be needed in the IoT sector alone. Applications in bionic prosthetics, virtual societies, and big data processing are increasing, driving the need for sensors that identify materials, temperature, pressure, shape, size, and humidity. Traditional sensors rely on batteries, posing issues like high energy consumption, limited lifespan, bulkiness, and environmental threats. TENS can harvest environmental energy, powering its multifunctional sensing capabilities. This technology shows great potential in self-powered sensing, applicable in smart manufacturing, environmental monitoring, healthcare, and human-machine interfaces. According to market research, the global smart sensor market is projected to reach $65 billion by 2024, with self-powered sensors being significant.