Scientists inspired by ‘Star Wars’ create artificial skin able to feel

Tee demonstrating how his device can detect the texture of a soft stress ball at a lab in NUS, Singapore. — Reuters

SINGAPORE: Singapore researchers have developed "electronic skin" capable of recreating a sense of touch, an innovation they hope will allow people with prosthetic limbs to detect objects, as well as feel texture, or even temperature and pain.

The device, dubbed ACES, or Asynchronous Coded Electronic Skin, is made up of 100 small sensors and is about 1 sq cm (0.16 square inch) in size.