The "skin-like" sensor unveiled by Stanford University scientists can "feel" pressure just like human skin - but is far, far tougher.

斯坦福大学的科学家近日公开了他们研制的“人造皮肤”传感器，它能像人类的皮肤那样感受压力——但要柔韧得多。

 

It could be used for advanced prosthetic limbs - or to create robots that can "feel" a touch.

它可以用于制作先进的假肢——或者是制造可以“感觉”到触摸的机器人。

 

The "super skin" can be stretched out to twice its length and snap back without any harm.

这种“超级皮肤”可以拉伸到它本身长度的两倍，放开后能够毫无损害地完全恢复。

 

Inside are tiny "springs" made of carbon nanotubes - minuscule hair-like filaments - that can "sense" pressure from a slight pinch up to the equivalent of two elephants stepping on top of the sensor.

传感器内部是由碳纳米管制成的微型“弹簧”——非常细小，像头发丝一样——能够感知不同的压力，小到轻轻地捏一下，大到相当于两头大象站在顶上。

 

The highly conductive nanotubes can be stretched in any direction, but still send electrical information - which could be fed back to a robot brain or to a patient.

这种导电率很高的纳米管能够向着任意方向拉伸，并仍能保证电子信息的传输——这些信息会反馈到机器人的大脑里或是反馈给病人。

 

Even huge amounts of pressure don't permanently damage the sensor, created by Stanford associate professor Dr Zhenan Bao's team.

“人造皮肤”是由斯坦福大学副教授鲍哲南（音译）博士领导的研究团队研发出来的，即使是很大的压力也不会对它造成永久性的损害。

 

The sensitive "film" of carbon nanotubes is completely transparent. It's created by spraying carbon nanotubes - tiny tubes of carbon atoms where the walls are a single layer of carbon - onto silicone.

这种灵敏的碳纳米管“薄膜”完全是透明的。它是用碳纳米管——微小的单壁碳纳米管——喷洒在硅酮上制造而成的。

 

When the carbon nanotubes are sprayed onto silicone, the substance lands randomly, but when stretched out, the nanotubes form into lines across the substance. When the pressure is released, they coil up like springs.

碳纳米管被喷洒在硅酮上时是随意分布的，但当它被拉伸的时候，纳米管会顺着拉伸物体排列成线型。压力释放后，它们就会像弹簧那样盘成圈状。

 

The researchers found that if they stretched out the substance in a second direction perpendicular to the first, it could then be stretched in any direction without harm.

研究人员发现，如果向着第一次拉伸的垂直方向拉扯，它仍然能够向着任何方向毫无损害地任意伸展。