Artificial and 3D-Printed Skin Advances for Robots, Humans

Artificial and 3D-Printed Skin Advances for Robots, Humans Artificial and 3D-Printed Skin Advances for Robots, Humans Artificial and 3D-Printed Skin Advances for Robots, HumansSkin, the largest organ in the menschlich body senses temperature, pressure, and pain. Recent advancements in artificial and 3D-printed skin could soon deliver those sensations and more to robots, prosthetics, and philanthropischs.Todays artificial skin uses sensors, microelectronics, and conductive materials to feel sensations. Scientists are also using menschengerecht cells and 3D printing to make human skin that can be used to cover wounds or as a permanent replacement for lost skin. Engineering advances for artificial skin and human skin could even merge in the future, paving the way for cybernetic organisms that have both organic and biomechatronic body partes.Artificial skin developed by engineers and scientists at Caltech and ETH Zurich can detect temperature changes. Image CaltechArtificial SkinsArtific ial skin uses sensors to help prosthetics and robotic limbs process sensations and perform tasks with dexterity. But the best artificial skins can only measure one stimulus. Researchers want to create artificial skin that responds to multiple stimuli the way real skin does, creating more functionality. This requires embedded arrays of nanoscale sensors. Depending on the number of sensors and array density, artificial skin can be hundreds of times more sensitive than human skin.Researchers at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in Austria plan to do just that by creating a nanoscale sensor that simultaneously detects temperature, humidity, and pressure. These sensors will be made of a smart polymer core which expands depending on the humidity and temperature, and a piezoelectric shell, which produces an electric current when pressure is applied, said Anna Maria Coclite, principal investigator and assistant professor at TU Grazs Institute for Solid State Physics.These smart cores would be sandwiched between two nanoscale grids of electrodes, which sense the electrical charges given off when the sensors feel and then transmit this data. The idea is that it could be used like robotic hands to sense temperature or even things at a much smaller scale than humans can feelfor example, bacteria, she says.For You The Best Engineering Stories of 2018In other developments, scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Washington have created a silicone rubber skin that simultaneously detects normal forces, shear forces, and vibration with great accuracy. The material is embedded with tiny channels that contain conductive liquid metal. When a robot finger covered in this skin slides across a surface, some of the material grows taut and some bulge. This alters the flow of electricity within the channels, which is an indication of how much shear force and vibration the skin is experiencing. This extra sensing ability will help robots or i ndividuals with prosthetics complete gripping and manipulating tasks more effectively.Traditionally, tactile sensor designs have focused on sensing the individual modalities of normal forces, shear forces, or vibration exclusively, says Veronica Santos, a co-researcher and associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCLA. However, dexterous manipulation is a dynamic process that requires a multimodal approach. The fact that our latest skin prototype incorporates all three modalities creates many new possibilities for machine learning-based approaches for advancing robot capabilities.Organic-Based SkinA team of engineers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and ETH Zurich has developed an artificial skin made from pectin, a naturally occurring long-chain molecule present in plant cell walls. Pectin is widely used in the food industry as a jellifying agent, said Chiara Daraio, professor of mechanical engineering and applied physics at Caltech. It is u sed to make jam, so it is easy to obtain and also very cheap.This unique material consists of a thin, transparent film of pectin and water that is about 20 micrometers thick, just a bit thicker than a strand of human hair, and generates an electrical response when exposed to temperature changes. Pectin molecules have a weakly bonded double-strand structure that contains calcium ions.As temperature increases, these bonds break down and the double strands unzip, releasing the positively charged calcium ions, according to the team. This results in a decrease in the electrical resistance throughout the material, which can be detected with a multimeter connected to electrodes embedded in the film.The researchers note that existing electronic skins sense temperature changes of less than a tenth of a degree Celsius across a five-degree temperature range. This new skin can sense changes that are an order of magnitude smaller, with a responsivity that is two orders of magnitude larger than t hose of other electronic skins over a 45-degree temperature range.The material could be grafted onto prosthetic limbs to restore temperature sensing in amputees, the researchers wrote. It could also be applied to first-aid bandages to alert health professionals of a temperature increasea sign of infection in wounds.Bioprinter prototype. Image Universidad Carlos III de MadridBioprinting Human SkinImpressive advances are also being made in the 3D printing of human skin in the laboratory. For example, researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Hospital General Universitario in Valencia, Spain, have created a 3D bioprinter that creates totally functional human skinin its natural layered structurethat is suitable for transplantation. Allogeneic skin is generated from a stock of cells on a large scale autologous skin is made from an individuals own cells for therapeutic use, such as treatment for severe burns. Bioinks using these cellular components are the key to 3D bioprintin g healthy, functional skin. Knowing how to mix the biological components, in what conditions to work with them so that the cells dont deteriorate, and how to correctly deposit the product, is critical to the process, said researcher Juan Francisco del Caizo from Hospital General Universitario.Another group has successfully printed human skin with natural pigmentation. Scientists at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology and the Singapore Center for 3D Printing at Nanyang Technology University used bioprinting to control the distribution of melanin-producing skin cells on a biomimetic tissue substrate, creating skin with pigmentation like that of real human skin.Scientists at the University of Toronto have developed a handheld 3D skin printer that applies layers of skin tissue directly on wounds. The device represents an alternative to painful skin grafts. A similar printer has been invented at Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C., which uses a bioink that contains a variety of skin cells. According to the school, a scanner is used to determine wound size and depth. Different types of skin cells are found at different depths. This data then guides the printer as it applies layers of the correct type of cells to cover the wound.A lesser-known benefit of bioprinting human skin is its potential for eliminating the testing of cosmetics and other chemical products on animals. For example, LOreal has partnered with bioengineering company Organovo to provide 3D-printed skin samples, which enables product safety and performance testing without using animals.The bio-inspired sensor skin can be wrapped around a finger or any other part of a robot or prosthetic device to help convey a sense of touch. Image UCLA EngineeringMelding Science and NatureArtificial skin will one day be implanted in humans, while advances in artificial skin will improve the technology for developing human skin or even creating a super skin. However, before this can hap pen, the structure and mechanical properties of this organ require much more study. For example, scientists know little about how skin stretches or how to determine its tension.This is really important to surgeons, who need to know in which direction they should cut skin to avoid extensive scarring, said Michel Destrade, an applied mathematician at the National University of Ireland Galway who is developing mathematical models for the behavior of soft tissue. The people who create artificial skin need to know how to deal with mismatches in tension when they connect it to real skin. This includes knowing the best way to cut and stretch it.Coclite of TU Grazs Institute hopes to make sensors that can detect more stimuli, such as acidity or sweat. Perhaps in the future people who have lost a limb or suffered burns will benefit from such multi-stimuli sensing capabilities in convincingly human artificial skin.It would be fantastic if we could apply it to humans but theres still lots of w ork that needs to be done by scientists in turning electronic pulses into signals that could be sent to the brain and recognized, she said.Mark Crawford is an independent writer.Read More Extremely Lightweight Nanocardboard Is Stronger than Corrugated Cardboard Synthetic Ice Gets Closer to the Real Thing 3D-printed Lithium-ion Battery Could Power Electric Vehicles, Drones For Further Discussion

5 Critical Mistakes that Could Destroy Your Career

5 Critical Mistakes that Could Destroy Your Career5 Critical Mistakes that Could Destroy Your Career This is that time of the year when many of us start to review our career this usually starts with an audit of the past year - we review our goals, what we achieved and what we didnt, and career highlights from the past year . It is then followed by setting resolutions and career goals for the new year. While there is nothing wrong with setting goals and making career resolutions for the new year, it is important that your career plans for this new year is made with a focus on one thing mistakes to avoid.If you want to achieve your career goals this year and have a much successful career than in previous years, you need to avoid these mistakes. Making one or more of them could destroy your careerMost people wrongly assume that their career progression depends on their IQ and academic qualifications. This is very far from the truth. While these could have gotten yo u a job, you will need much more than that to have a progressive career.According to Law Settlement Funding , By far, one of the most important things if you want to move up in your career is to have a good relationship with your co-workers and superiors. In fact, this is often reported to be more important than other factors. If, on the other hand, you are not on good terms with co-workers and superiors and you think it is just enough to do an excellent job, dont be surprised if you are out of a job soon enough.Many people sacrifice sleep in the belief that it is required to achieve their career goals and objectives. Not only is this not true, but it can be very dangerous. Besides the fact that lack of sleep has been linked to psychopathic behavior (and remember, not being able to get along well with employees and higher-ups can destroy your career), research actually shows that not getting adequate sleep does not necessarily give people the wertmiger zuwachs boost they assume the y are getting. Instead, getting inadequate sleep (less than six hours daily for an adult) leads to the same effect as being drunk it diminishes your performance and reduces your cognitive abilities.So, if sleeping less is part of your plan to achieve your career goals, it could diminish your performance and reduce your cognitive abilities. It could also lead to you making career-damaging mistakes (since you could be operating on the same level as a drunkard).While many will advocate diversifying as key to success, focus is what really makes a great career. Putting a lot of focused, undivided attention into being the best at what you do will lead to you having a stronger career than diversifying your efforts and energy into a lot of things. In fact, an analysis of the billionaires on the Forbes 400 list found that the majority of these billionaires got to where they are by being focused on one thing and reaching the peak of their career in the area of their focus. If you take a look at people at the top of your industry you will most likely notice the same thing.Diversifying could limit your career trajectory. It could even destroy it. If youre an accountant, for example, you will stand a better chance career-wise getting your CPA than learning to bake as a side skill.If you want to move forward in any industry, networking is the rule of the game networking allows you to be aware of more opportunities, to connect to more people in your industry and to know about how things work beyond just your workplace.Dont make the mistake of limiting yourself by not networking - not only could it limit your growth potential, but it could make you redundant and potentially negatively affect your career prospects. Instead, network by attending industry conferences and events and connecting with people in other organizations similar to yours.Of course, it used to be that (for the most part) what you do in your private life has little bearing on your career. Not anymore. In th e age of social media and super fast information transmission, especially where most information deutsche bundesposted online remain there permanently, not minding what you post on social media could not only cost you your current job, but it could also cost you future jobs and prevent you from moving forward in your career.Being careful about what you post on social media should be paramount on the list of steps you take to advance your career - ignoring this rule could affect you beyond just this year. It can affect your career prospects forever.

When to Take Breaks in Your Job Search

When to Take Breaks in Your Job Search When to Take Breaks in Your Job Search 6Hunting for a new position is similar to holding a job, as the process takes a great deal of time, energy, and focus. And just like you need breaks from work in order to recharge, occasionally stepping away from a job search can prove a smart decision. Think you could use a respite? (Tip: if you immediately answered “yes,” you probably do.) Here’s a look at when might be advantageous to take breaks in your job search: Youre exhibiting signs of frustration or exhaustion. When you find yourself yelling at an empty email inbox, describing your job search to a friend as “beating my head against a wall,” snapping at your spouse for simply asking about your day, or downing five cups of coffee by 11 a.m. in an effort to stay engaged, chances are negative feelings have reached a (pun intended) breaking point. “Repetitive tasks that don’t bring about the desired result  are notorious for sapping our energy,” says Denise Dudley, author of Work It! Get In, Get Noticed, Get Promoted. “If you’re feeling depressed, cranky, bitter, weepy, angry, short-tempered- choose just about any negative emotion- it’s likely based upon psychological exhaustion. You’re out of energy, so take a break.” Youre lacking productivity. Does accomplishing objectives seem harder than when your job search began? (You do still set goals, right?) When concentration and output wane, taking a job search break may be in order. As Dudley notes, “At the point where you find yourself daydreaming for super-long periods of time, or surfing the net for cool vacation destinations, or deciding you must walk your dog for the tenth time in the past two hours- rather than focusing on your job search- it’s time to give it a rest. If you look at your ‘work output’ for the day and it’s embarrassingly paltry- maybe just a few resumes sent out to companies you’re not even familiar with- you’re suffering from burnout. You’ll be much more productive if you can step away for just a bit and return with a refreshed outlook.” Youre using poor judgment. Finally, consider it a big red flag when your desire to wrap up a job search leads you into unwanted territory. Straying away from what you really want can have long-term career repercussions and may land you right back to job hunting upon discovering the mistake. Pause to reflect. “When you reach a point of burnout and exhaustion, your brain becomes bad at making decisions about things that otherwise would seem obvious,” Dudley says. “If you find yourself starting to say, ‘Well, maybe a career in the Port-o-potty cleaning industry wouldn’t be so bad ’ (no offense to the wonderful people at Port-o-potty!), it’s time to step away from the job search for a bit. As our judgment becomes impaired, we’re apt to settle for things we wouldn’t normally settle for and to justify behaviors that don’t really represent us. We become unable to accurately reflect and to plan our next move, which is not a good mindset for job hunting.”