A person needs to be touched, this is his natural need, which cannot be replaced by a call even on a video call. And this is especially important for seriously ill children who are in hospital isolation wards and cannot hug their own parents. Therefore, a research team from the University of Saarland (Germany) has developed a special ultra-thin film that is able to transmit sensations like a second virtual skin.
Smart textiles are based on films only 50 micrometers thick, which can be worn as a second skin. These ultra-thin films are essentially an interface for the body’s connection to the virtual world, which helps to experience the realistic touch of human interaction in a virtual environment.
The films, known as dielectric elastomers, act as sensors, recognizing tactile signals from parents that are transmitted to the child. The sensor is able to detect with high accuracy how hard the hand is pressing on the film. This physical deformity is then accurately reproduced on the second cloth in which the child is dressed, giving him the realistic sensation of a stroke on the arm or a hug.
As the inventors explain, a flexible electrically conductive layer is printed on each side of the ultra-thin film. The electrodes are attracted to each other, compressing the polymer and causing it to expand, thereby increasing its surface area. Even the slightest movement of the film changes its electrical capacitance, allowing it to transmit any touch of another person.
