Oscillating gel acts like artificial skin, giving robots potential ability to 'feel'

Sooner than later, robots may have the ability to 'feel.' Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated that a nonoscillating gel can be resuscitated in a fashion similar to a medical cardiopulmonary resuscitation. These findings pave the way for the development of a wide range of new applications that sense mechanical stimuli and respond chemically. Researchers at Pitt made predictions regarding the behavior of Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) gel, a material shown to pulsate in the absence of any external stimuli. Anna Balazs, Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, predicted that BZ gel not previously oscillating could be re-excited by mechanical pressure. The prediction was actualized by MIT researchers, who proved that chemical oscillations can be triggered by mechanically compressing the BZ gel beyond a critical stress.