General Information
Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) for artificial skin is a highly flexible, biocompatible material that mimics the properties of human skin, offering durability, elasticity, and comfort in medical, prosthetic and human android applications.
Multi-layer Skin Structure
Multi-layer silicone skin design: To better simulate the texture and appearance of human skin, the paper mentions the use of multi-layer silicone technology. This multi-layer design includes:
- Outer layer: Made from softer silicone to replicate the softness and elasticity of skin.
- Inner layer: Utilizes a slightly harder silicone material to support the surface structure and ensure the skin does not deform easily during movement.
- Reinforcement layer: Additional structural layers are incorporated to enhance the skin’s ability to withstand long-term mechanical stress and friction.
Multi-layer Skin Applications
·Face ·Hands ·Limbs ·Joints ·Torso
The multi-layer skin structure is not only used for the robot’s face but can be widely applied to areas such as the hands, limbs, joints, torso, external devices, and sensor surfaces. By combining multi-layer structures with different materials, high realism, flexibility, durability, and protection can be achieved in various parts, enhancing the robot’s appearance and functionality to better meet the needs of human-robot interaction.
Process Technology
Liquid Injection Molding(Lim) and Why
- High tear strength and high tensile strength: High temp pressing and curing can endow silicone with high tear strength and high tensile strength
- Precision: LIM allows for precise control over the shape, thickness, and intricate details of each layer, enabling the creation of components that not only fit well but also mimic the natural appearance and functionality of skin and muscle.
- Biocompatibility: LIM uses medical-grade silicone, which is non-toxic, durable, and biocompatible, making it safe for prolonged contact with the skin.
Other infos
Physical Properties: – Tensile strength: At least 0.3 MPa. – Elongation: At least 420%, ensuring the material can stretch without breaking. – Viscosity: Should be low enough (below 20,000 mPa·s) to allow for easy molding.
Benefits: – Realistic tactile feel: By controlling the viscoelastic properties (tan δ), the composition mimics real skin, offering a more lifelike feel for models or robots. –
Color adjustability: The material can be easily colored without risk of discoloration, making it suitable for a variety of applications.
Applications: – Suitable for creating humanoid models, robot skin, medical organ replicas, or any other application requiring flexible, skin-like materials.