Scientists take first step to creating screens that repair themselves

The jellyfish has never been to arouse many passions around the world, but the animal has become an inspiration to scientists who have created a touch-sensitive, elastic, self-healing electronic skin. In the future, the technology could be used to manufacture self-healing touch screens, waterproof electronics, and even malleable robots. 

The material was created by scientists at the National University of Singapore and released by Nature Eletronics last Thursday (14). "We wondered how we could manufacture artificial material that mimicked the resistant nature of jellyfish and was also sensitive to touch," study leader Benjamin Tee said in a statement.

The creation is being dubbed GLASSES, which is the abbreviation for the name of the material in English. The scientists came to the result after mixing a wet elastic plastic in a fluoride ionic liquid in a gel. When combined, the polymers and the liquid interact to promote self-healing - the process may be induced in aquatic environments, as well as in acidic or alkaline, moist or dry locations.

Even if the skin is cut or torn, the material can recover its electrical conductivity in a matter of minutes - and recompose itself in a few days. And the skin also serves as a conductor, which means it can respond to touch, stretching and effort. 

The researchers suggest that this could facilitate new methods of interaction with robot softs----------, an emerging field of robotics related to building robots from more malleable and flexible materials than solid metal. The researchers were able to demonstrate the sensitivity to the touch of GLASSES with classic game Snake, the Cobrinha here in Brazil.

Professor Tee says that the biggest challenge was to create a material with water-resistant properties and also detect the touch effectively when wet - a requirement for touch screens of mobile devices, for example.

"Many self-healing materials today are not transparent and do not work efficiently when wet," Tee said. "These drawbacks make them less useful for electronic applications such as touch screens, which generally need to be used in humid climatic conditions."

According to the team, a self-healing skin could also generate positive effects on the environment. It is estimated that between 20 and 50 million tons of electronic waste are produced per year - the amount could be reduced with devices with regeneration function.

"Millions of tons of junk from devices like broken phones or tablets are generated globally every year," says Tee. "We hope to create a future in which electronic devices made of intelligent materials can perform self-repair functions to reduce the amount of electronic waste in the world."

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