New Electronic Skin May Give Humans the Ability to Sense Magnetic Fields

Scientists have created electronic skin that can attach to humans. They've developed a new magnetic sensor which is thin enough and robust enough to be smoothly adapted to human skin and, possibly, give humans a sixth sense: a magnetic sense.

Magnetoception is a sense which allows bacteria, insects and even some vertebrates, such as birds, to detect magnetic fields for orientation and navigation. Humans, though, are unable to detect this magnetic field naturally.

That's why researchers decided to see if they could artificially equip humans with this "sixth sense." The new electronic skin equips the recipient with the ability to perceive the presence of static or dynamic magnetic fields. The new device is less than two micrometers thick and weighs only three grams per square meter; in fact, it's so light that it can float on top of a soap bubble.

"We have demonstrated an on-skin touchless human-machine interaction platform, motion and displacement sensorics applicable for soft robots or functional medical implants as well as magnetic functionalities for electronics on the skin," said Michael Melzer, one of the researchers, in a news release.

The new sensor isn't just thin, either. It can also withstand extreme bending and survive crumpling like a piece of paper without sacrificing performance. On electric supports like a rubber band, it can be stretched to more than 270 percent and for over 1,000 cycles without fatigue.

"These ultrathin magnetic sensors with extraordinary mechanical robustness are ideally suited to be wearable, yet unobtrusive and imperceptible for orientation and manipulation aids," said Oliver G. Schmidt, one of the researchers.

The findings reveal that there may be a possibility to enhance human senses. Not only that, but this sensor could be used in medical application.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

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