Japanese researchers say they have created a robotic skin that can sense temperature and pressure simultaneously.
The University of Tokyo scientists say their breakthrough has the potential to improve how robots will function in the real world.
And they add that there is no need to stop at simply imitating the functions of human skin.
“It will be possible in the near future to make an electronic skin that has functions that human skin lacks,” the researchers write in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Future artificial skins could incorporate sensors not only for pressure and temperature, but also for light, humidity, strain or sound, they add.