Singapore Researchers Develop Smart Foam Material for Robots

This smart foam allows the robot to sense nearby objects.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SINGAPORE — Singapore researchers develop a smart foam material. This smart foam makes it possible robot senses nearby objects and repairs itself when damaged, much like human skin.

Artificially innervated foam, or AiFoam is a highly elastic polymer. This material is made by mixing a fluoropolymer with a compound that lowers the surface tension.

According to researchers at the National University of Singapore, this technique allows the spongy material to blend easily into one piece when cut.

“There are many applications for such materials, particularly in robotics and prosthetic devices, where robots need to be much smarter when working around humans,” said lead researcher Benjamin Tee. Reuters, Tuesday (6/7).

To replicate the human sense of touch, the researchers infused the material with microscopic metal particles and added tiny electrodes under the surface of the foam.

When pressure is applied, the metal particles get closer and closer within the polymer matrix, changing their electrical properties. Tee said these changes can be detected by electrodes connected to a computer, which then tells the robot what to do.

“When I move my finger near the sensor, you can see the sensor measuring the change in my electric field and responding to my touch,” he says.

This feature allows the robotic arm to detect not only the amount but also the direction of the applied force, potentially making the robot more intelligent and interactive.

Additionally, Tee says AiFoam is the first of its kind to combine both self-healing and proximity and pressure-sensing properties. After spending more than two years developing it, he and his team hope the material can be put into practical use within five years.

“It also allows prosthetic users to use their robotic arm more intuitively when picking up objects,” he said.

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