Tech Briefs Magazine - April 2022 - MD-17

The self-healing materials are cheap
and easy to make, either by 3D printing
or casting. They are preferable to many
existing alternatives since they show
long-term strength and stability without
drying out, and they are made entirely
from widely available food-safe materials.
" It's a really good sensor considering
how cheap and easy it is to make, " said
George-Thuruthel. " We could make a
whole robot out of gelatine and print
the sensors wherever we need them. "
The self-healing hydrogels bond well
with a range of different materials,
meaning they can easily be incorporated
with other types of robotics. For
example, much of the research in the
Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory,
where the researchers are based, is focused
on the development of artificial
hands. Although this material is a proofof-concept,
if developed further, it
could be incorporated into artificial
skins and custom-made wearable and
biodegradable sensors.
For more information,
Collins at sarah.collins@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Novel Biosensors Set to Revolutionize
Brain-Controlled Robotics
A carbon-based biosensor could drive new innovations in brain-controlled robotics.
University of Technology Sydney, Australia
D
eveloped by Professor
Francesca Iacopi and
her team in the UTS
Faculty of Engineering and
IT, the biosensor adheres
to the skin of the face and
head to detect electrical
signals being sent by the
brain. These signals can
then be translated into
commands to control autonomous
robotic systems.
A study of the biosensor
was published in the Journal
of Neural Engineering.
The sensor is made of
epitaxial graphene - essentially
multiple layers of
very thin, very strong carbon
- grown directly onto
a silicon-carbide-on-silicon
substrate. The result is a highly scalable
novel sensing technology that overcomes
three
major
challenges
contact Sarah
The biosensor can be used for prolonged periods and re-used multiple times. (Photo: Andy Roberts)
of
graphene-based biosensing: corrosion,
durability, and skin contact resistance.
" We've been able to combine the best
of graphene, which is very biocompatible
and very conductive, with the best of
silicon technology, which makes our biosensor
very resilient and robust to use, "
said Professor Iacopi.
Graphene is a nanomaterial used frequently
in the development of biosensors.
However, to date, many of these
products have been developed as a single-use
applications and are prone to
delamination as a result of coming into
contact with sweat and other forms of
moisture on the skin.
Motion Design, April 2022
By contrast, the UTS biosensor can
be used for prolonged periods and reused
multiple times, even in highly saline
environments
- an unprecedented
result.
Further, the sensor has been shown to
dramatically reduce what's known as skin
contact resistance, where nonoptimal
contact between the sensor and skin impedes
the detection of electrical signals
from the brain.
" With our sensor, the contact resistance
improves when the sensor sits on
the skin, " Professor Iacopi said. " Over
time, we were able to achieve a reduction
of more than 75 percent of the initial
contact resistance. "
" This means the electric signals being
sent by the brain can be reliably collected
and then significantly amplified,
and that the sensors can also be used
reliably in harsh conditions, thereby enhancing
their potential for use in
brain-machine interfaces. "
The research forms part of a larger
collaboration to investigate how brainwaves
can be used to command and control
autonomous vehicles. The work is a
partnership between Professor Iacopi,
who is internationally acclaimed for her
work in nanotechnology and electronic
materials, and
UTS Distinguished
Professor Chin-Teng Lin, a leading researcher
in brain-computer interfaces. It
is funded by $1.2 million from the
Defence Innovation Hub.
For more information, contact Fiona McGill
at newsroom@uts.edu.au; 61- 419 293 261.
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Tech Briefs Magazine - April 2022

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