Earlier in the week, the University of California - Berkeley announced its own investigations into creating artificial sensitive skin from semiconductors.
The latest research, however, is looking at ways of producing skin with high detail in its sensitivity, rather than hands capable of gripping an object firmly without smashing it.
In order to achieve this, the pressure sensors used are constructed from microstructures of rubber sandwiched between electrodes.
The shape of the rubber structure allows it to spring back into shape much more quickly after being compressed, as the molecules do not tangle with one another as much.
As a result, it is capable of much more sensitive detection of pressure.
Ultimately, the scientists hope to create a flexible skin with the ability to detect the design of a coin simply from its impression on the sensitive surface.
