Morphological Fabrication of Rubber Cutaneous Receptors Embedded in a Stretchable Skin-Mimicking Human Tissue by the Utilization of Hybrid Fluid
Sensors are essential in the haptic technology of soft robotics, which includes the technology of humanoids. Haptic sensors can be simulated by the mimetic organ of perceptual cells in the human body. However, there has been little research on the morphological fabrication of cutaneous receptors emb...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/20/6834 |
| _version_ | 1797513201735172096 |
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| author | Kunio Shimada Ryo Ikeda Hiroshige Kikura Hideharu Takahashi |
| author_facet | Kunio Shimada Ryo Ikeda Hiroshige Kikura Hideharu Takahashi |
| author_sort | Kunio Shimada |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sensors are essential in the haptic technology of soft robotics, which includes the technology of humanoids. Haptic sensors can be simulated by the mimetic organ of perceptual cells in the human body. However, there has been little research on the morphological fabrication of cutaneous receptors embedded in a human skin tissue utilizing artificial materials. In the present study, we fabricated artificial, cell-like cutaneous receptors embedded in skin tissue mimicking human skin structure by utilizing rubber. We addressed the fabrication of five cutaneous receptors (free nerve endings, Krause and bulbs, Meissner corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles and Ruffini endings). In addition, we investigated the effectiveness of the fabricated tissue for mechanical and thermal sensing. At first, in the production of integrated artificial skin tissue, we proposed a novel magnetic, responsive, intelligent, hybrid fluid (HF), which is suitable for developing the hybrid rubber skin. Secondly, we presented the fabrication by utilizing not only the HF rubber but our previously proposed rubber vulcanization and adhesion techniques with electrolytic polymerization. Thirdly, we conducted a mechanical and thermal sensing touch experiment with the finger. As a result, it demonstrated that intelligence as a mechanoreceptor or thermoreceptor depends on its fabric: the HF rubber sensor mimicked Krause and bulbs has the thermal and pressing sensibility, and the one mimicked Ruffini endings the shearing sensibility. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:13:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6a70f7f8e46d42388da5857a81b641a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:13:20Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-6a70f7f8e46d42388da5857a81b641a22023-11-22T19:58:10ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202021-10-012120683410.3390/s21206834Morphological Fabrication of Rubber Cutaneous Receptors Embedded in a Stretchable Skin-Mimicking Human Tissue by the Utilization of Hybrid FluidKunio Shimada0Ryo Ikeda1Hiroshige Kikura2Hideharu Takahashi3Faculty of Symbiotic Systems Sciences, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima 960-1296, JapanInstitute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, JapanInstitute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, JapanInstitute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, JapanSensors are essential in the haptic technology of soft robotics, which includes the technology of humanoids. Haptic sensors can be simulated by the mimetic organ of perceptual cells in the human body. However, there has been little research on the morphological fabrication of cutaneous receptors embedded in a human skin tissue utilizing artificial materials. In the present study, we fabricated artificial, cell-like cutaneous receptors embedded in skin tissue mimicking human skin structure by utilizing rubber. We addressed the fabrication of five cutaneous receptors (free nerve endings, Krause and bulbs, Meissner corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles and Ruffini endings). In addition, we investigated the effectiveness of the fabricated tissue for mechanical and thermal sensing. At first, in the production of integrated artificial skin tissue, we proposed a novel magnetic, responsive, intelligent, hybrid fluid (HF), which is suitable for developing the hybrid rubber skin. Secondly, we presented the fabrication by utilizing not only the HF rubber but our previously proposed rubber vulcanization and adhesion techniques with electrolytic polymerization. Thirdly, we conducted a mechanical and thermal sensing touch experiment with the finger. As a result, it demonstrated that intelligence as a mechanoreceptor or thermoreceptor depends on its fabric: the HF rubber sensor mimicked Krause and bulbs has the thermal and pressing sensibility, and the one mimicked Ruffini endings the shearing sensibility.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/20/6834sensorcutaneous receptorsskinmimesisrubberelectrolytic polymerization |
| spellingShingle | Kunio Shimada Ryo Ikeda Hiroshige Kikura Hideharu Takahashi Morphological Fabrication of Rubber Cutaneous Receptors Embedded in a Stretchable Skin-Mimicking Human Tissue by the Utilization of Hybrid Fluid Sensors sensor cutaneous receptors skin mimesis rubber electrolytic polymerization |
| title | Morphological Fabrication of Rubber Cutaneous Receptors Embedded in a Stretchable Skin-Mimicking Human Tissue by the Utilization of Hybrid Fluid |
| title_full | Morphological Fabrication of Rubber Cutaneous Receptors Embedded in a Stretchable Skin-Mimicking Human Tissue by the Utilization of Hybrid Fluid |
| title_fullStr | Morphological Fabrication of Rubber Cutaneous Receptors Embedded in a Stretchable Skin-Mimicking Human Tissue by the Utilization of Hybrid Fluid |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphological Fabrication of Rubber Cutaneous Receptors Embedded in a Stretchable Skin-Mimicking Human Tissue by the Utilization of Hybrid Fluid |
| title_short | Morphological Fabrication of Rubber Cutaneous Receptors Embedded in a Stretchable Skin-Mimicking Human Tissue by the Utilization of Hybrid Fluid |
| title_sort | morphological fabrication of rubber cutaneous receptors embedded in a stretchable skin mimicking human tissue by the utilization of hybrid fluid |
| topic | sensor cutaneous receptors skin mimesis rubber electrolytic polymerization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/20/6834 |
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