American scientists have created a prototype of a flexible thermometer that can be used in smart clothing. The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science magazine.
According to the experts of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. John A. Poleson, in smart clothes of the future you will need flexible sensors for temperature measurement. The problem is that most of the components that are used in modern sensors cannot be twisted and stretched. The new thermometer has a flexible design, thanks to which it can be integrated into soft robots and smart clothes.
The thermometer consists of electrolyte, electrode and dielectric material separating them. When the temperature changes, the ion cloud changes its thickness and creates a voltage. The design is sensitive to temperature and can withstand a varying degree.
“We have developed soft temperature sensors with high sensitivity and low response time, opening new opportunities for creating soft robots in health care, machinery and entertainment,” said the author of Professor Zhigan Suo.
Depending on the materials, the new thermometer can measure the temperature in the range from 200 to minus 100 degrees Celsius. New sensors are more sensitive than traditional thermoelectric thermometers, and can respond to change temperatures over a period of ten milliseconds.
At the end of December, Singapore scientists created a roboruk on the basis of human fingers. The device can carry heavy and fragile items.