softskin

Softskin is a term used to describe flexible, stretchable external coverings that incorporate sensing capabilities, intended to imitate aspects of biological skin. In robotics and materials science, softskin systems are often referred to as electronic skin or e-skin and are designed to provide tactile, thermal, and sometimes chemical information to a host device.

Materials and fabrication commonly involve silicone elastomers such as PDMS, polyurethane, or hydrogel composites. Structures may be single-layer or multilayer, with embedded sensors, microfluidic channels, or printed circuits. Fabrication methods include soft lithography, 3D printing, inkjet printing, and laser patterning, enabling conformal coverage over complex shapes.

Sensor modalities used in softskin include capacitive and piezoresistive sensors, triboelectric generators, optical sensing with flexible waveguides or arrays, and thermal sensors. These sensing elements are typically integrated with flexible interconnects and compact readout electronics. Some implementations incorporate optical or microfluidic components to enhance sensitivity or provide multiplexed measurements.

Applications span robotics, prosthetics, medical devices, and research. In robotics, softskin provides tactile feedback for manipulation and safe human–robot interaction. In prosthetics, it enables sensory feedback to users. Medical uses include smart bandages and conformal sensors for physiological monitoring. In research, softskin underpins advances in haptics, conformal sensing, and autonomous manipulation.

Challenges remain, including durability under repeated deformation, environmental stability, biocompatibility, data processing, power management, and scalable manufacturing. Ongoing work seeks to improve sensitivity, stretchability, self-healing capabilities, and integration with higher-level perception and control systems.