Someday, robots, planes, cars and other machines might have sensors all over their bodies, turning them into a huge touchscreen that recognizes your input. For that to happen, though, scientists have to develop sensor-rich robotic skin that can react to its environment, is affordable and is easy to make. That's what a group of MIT researchers want to achieve and the reason why they developed a device inspired by the golden tortoise beetle, an insect that changes color when poked.
To create their contraption, the team turned to 3D printing. They used a custom 3D printer called MultiFab to make the T-shaped gizmo, which has a small circular part that changes color when the T's crossbars stretch. MultiFab did everything, from printing the device's thin, sensor-laden plastic skin to depositing and curing the liquid that serves as its semiconductor.
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