More synthetic senses for clinical laboratory IT solutions

The ways in which a sense of touch might be added to clinical laboratory IT solutions are increasing as the days go by.

Earlier in the week, the University of California - Berkeley announced nanowire-based touch-sensitive artificial skin designed to allow delicate objects to be held by synthetic hands without being crushed.

Now the researchers' counterparts at Stanford University have unveiled their own highly sensitive skin.

Rather than detecting the effect of a robot on an object it is holding, their solution achieves the opposite result, being able to provide detailed imaging of objects placed on its surface.

For instance, they hope ultimately to be able to create an image of the pattern on a coin based only on the pressure it exerts on the skin.

Their solution could also be used in clinical laboratory IT solutions for the healthcare industry, such as in bandages which can detect how tightly they have been wrapped.