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Friday 21 November 2008
Research
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IMEC develops artificial skin technology
by Steve Bush
Monday 13 October 2008
Belgian researchers claim to have made the first functional optical links that can be embedded in a flexible substrate. This could lead to new types of pressure sensor being used as a form of “artificial skin”.
“The links include optical waveguides, light sources, and detectors,” said Ghent University. “With this technique, it becomes possible to make foils that sense changes in pressure. Such sensing, skin-like foils could be used for monitoring irregular or moving surfaces in robots, pliable machinery, or as an artificial skin.”
Ghent’s Department of Information Technology is working with Belgian research lab IMEC.
“With this technology, IMEC is working on two types of sensors: array waveguide sensors and optical fibre sensors. Both can be used for sensor foils,” said IMEC.
Array waveguide sensors rely on the change in coupling between crossing waveguides.
Two layers of polymer waveguides are separated by a thin layer of soft silicone. When no pressure is applied, no crosstalk is detected. But when pressure is applied to the foil the distance between the waveguides in the separated layers decreases and light is transmitted from one layer to the other. “This low-cost sensor is ideally suited for high-density pressure sensors on small areas,” said IMEC.
Last year, IMEC succeeded in embedding optical links on rigid surfaces. The current research takes this one step further, thinning standard commercial GaAs photodetectors and VCSELs (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers) down to 30µm.
These are embedded into the flexible transparent material and optically coupled with embedded waveguides and out-of-plane micromirrors. “The resulting structure shows good adhesion and flexible behaviour,” said IMEC.
Optical sensing foils combine two technologies that have lately seen a growing interest: integrated optical interconnections and flexible stretchable electronics. The ambition of researchers is to create a flexible and stretchable skin-like foil sensitive to touch, pressure, or deformation.
Such artificial skin could be used in medicine, industry and civil engineering.
To develop flexible sensing foils and their application, a group of European research institutes, including IMEC, are collaborating in the 7th Framework project PHOSFOS Photonic Skins For Optical Sensing).
“The links include optical waveguides, light sources, and detectors,” said Ghent University. “With this technique, it becomes possible to make foils that sense changes in pressure. Such sensing, skin-like foils could be used for monitoring irregular or moving surfaces in robots, pliable machinery, or as an artificial skin.”
“With this technology, IMEC is working on two types of sensors: array waveguide sensors and optical fibre sensors. Both can be used for sensor foils,” said IMEC.
Array waveguide sensors rely on the change in coupling between crossing waveguides.
Two layers of polymer waveguides are separated by a thin layer of soft silicone. When no pressure is applied, no crosstalk is detected. But when pressure is applied to the foil the distance between the waveguides in the separated layers decreases and light is transmitted from one layer to the other. “This low-cost sensor is ideally suited for high-density pressure sensors on small areas,” said IMEC.
Last year, IMEC succeeded in embedding optical links on rigid surfaces. The current research takes this one step further, thinning standard commercial GaAs photodetectors and VCSELs (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers) down to 30µm.
These are embedded into the flexible transparent material and optically coupled with embedded waveguides and out-of-plane micromirrors. “The resulting structure shows good adhesion and flexible behaviour,” said IMEC.
Optical sensing foils combine two technologies that have lately seen a growing interest: integrated optical interconnections and flexible stretchable electronics. The ambition of researchers is to create a flexible and stretchable skin-like foil sensitive to touch, pressure, or deformation.
Such artificial skin could be used in medicine, industry and civil engineering.
To develop flexible sensing foils and their application, a group of European research institutes, including IMEC, are collaborating in the 7th Framework project PHOSFOS Photonic Skins For Optical Sensing).
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