Professor Francesca Iacopi is an expert in nano-electronics and materials. Photo: Andy Roberts
A novel carbon-based biosensor developed at UTS is set to drive new innovations in brain-controlled robotics.
Developed by Professor Francesca Iacopi and her team in the UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT, the biosensor adheres to the skin of the face and head in order to detect electrical signals being sent by the brain. These signals can then be translated into commands to control autonomous robotic systems.
A study of the biosensor has been published in the Journal of Neural Engineering this month
The sensor is made of epitaxial graphene – essentially multiple layers of very thin, very strong carbon – grown directly onto a silicon-carbide-on-silicon substrate. The result is a highly scalable novel sensing technology that overcomes three major challenges of graphene-based biosensing: corrosion, durability and skin contact resistance.
“We’ve been able to combine the best of graphene, which is very biocompatible and very conductive, with the best of silicon technology, which makes our biosensor very resilient and robust to use,” says Professor Iacopi.
Graphene is a nanomaterial used frequently in the development of biosensors. However, to date, many of these products have been developed as a single-use applications and are prone to delamination as a result of coming into contact with sweat and other forms of moisture on the skin.
By contrast, the UTS biosensor can be used for prolonged periods and re-used multiple times, even in highly saline environments – an unprecedented result.
Further, the sensor has been shown to dramatically reduce what’s known as skin contact resistance, where non-optimal contact between the sensor and skin impedes the detection of electrical signals from the brain.
“With our sensor, the contact resistance improves when the sensor sits on the skin,” Professor Iacopi says. “Over time, we were able to achieve a reduction of more than 75 per cent of the initial contact resistance.”
“This means the electric signals being sent by the brain can be reliably collected and then significantly amplified, and that the sensors can also be used reliably in harsh conditions, thereby enhancing their potential for use in brain-machine interfaces.”
The research forms part of a larger collaboration to investigate how brainwaves can be used to command and control autonomous vehicles. The work is a partnership between Professor Iacopi, who is internationally acclaimed for her work in nanotechnology and electronic materials, and UTS Distinguished Professor Chin-Teng Lin, a leading researcher in brain-computer interfaces. It is funded by $1.2 million from the Defence Innovation Hub.
If successful, the research will produce miniaturised, customised graphene-based sensors that have the potential for application in defence environments and beyond.
Original Article: Sensors set to revolutionise brain-controlled robotics
More from: University of Technology Sydney
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Brain-controlled robotics
- Robotic tech enables control by human thiought
Scientists from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed a revolutionary new biosensor technology that allows people to control devices using only their thoughts. The technology uses a ...
- Mind Control Tech Is Here, And Military Has Already Tested It On Robots
Researchers in Australia are working with the nation's army to develop and test a wearable that lets soldiers control robots simply by thinking.
- Will AI Robots Coach Mental Well-Being in the Workplace?
Our study provides valuable insights for robotic well-being coach design and deployment, and contributes to the vision of taking robotic coaches into the real world,” wrote t ...
- Mind-control robots a reality
Researchers have developed biosensor technology that will allow you to operate devices, such as robots and machines, solely through thought control.
- Making mind-controlled robots a reality
Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed biosensor technology that will allow people to operate devices such as robots and machines solely through thought control.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Brain-controlled robotics
[google_news title=”” keyword=”brain-controlled robotics” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Graphene-based biosensing
- Graphene Is So Yesterday — Meet Borophene
It wasn’t long ago that graphene seemed to take the science and engineering communities by storm. You can make bits of it with a pencil and some sticky tape, yet it had all sorts of wonderful ...
- 3D Printing Circuitry With Graphene-Based Conductive Filament
The company has added graphene to 3DP filament to strengthen the material and add conductivity to prints made with it. The material, Black Magic 3D, is a PLA incorporating proprietary nano-composite ...
- New machine-learning approach identifies one molecule in a billion selectively, with graphene sensors
Such shortcomings of graphene-based sensors hinder selective gas detection and molecular species identification in atmospheric air, which is required for applications in environmental monitoring ...
- Graphene And Copper Nanowire Thermal Interface With Low Thermal Resistance
In the article, published in ACS Nano (paywalled; open access preprint alternative) the construction of this copper and graphene ‘sandwich’ TIM is described, along with tests. The general idea ...
- The Best Sources of Graphene
Levidian, based in the United Kingdom, has created a LOOP reactor that produces high-grade pristine graphene flakes by decarbonizing the greenhouse gas methane. Another method for producing ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Graphene-based biosensing
[google_news title=”” keyword=”graphene-based biosensing” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
