Domestic researchers developed electronic skin that can restore itself to its original state within 10 seconds even when torn by friction.
The National Research Foundation of Korea noted that Professor Kim Hyuk of the University of Seoul and his research team developed ultra-fast self-healing electronic skin that can restore over 80% of its function within 10 seconds without external stimuli, confirming that technology can monitor real-time physiological signals and assess muscle fatigue using artificial intelligence (AI).
Electronic skin, which mimics human skin, is one of the most advanced forms of wearable devices with high applicability in the health care field. When attached to the human body, various functions are being developed, including the ability to sense touch, monitor physiological signals, and heal wounds at the attachment site. However, it has been vulnerable to mechanical damage such as friction, tearing, and scratches during use, making long-term wear difficult.
In order to enhance the self-healing performance of electronic skin, the research team synthesized various compounds to find optimal conditions. They first introduced disulfide compounds to flexible thermoplastic polyurethane, allowing the tissue to bond on its own without external stimuli like heat or light. They also added compounds with high molecular mobility to maximize the self-healing capability.
The self-healing electronic skin developed in this way recovered over 80% of its function within 10 seconds at room temperature. The researchers confirmed that they could stably measure electromyography and electrocardiography using the electronic skin even in extreme environments such as high temperature, high humidity, low temperature, and underwater, and that the signals were maintained stably after the electronic skin was damaged and self-healed. Based on this, they also succeeded in experiments monitoring muscle fatigue in real-time.
Professor Kim Hyuk said, "Through this research, we have solved major challenges in self-healing electronic skin" and expressed hope that it will contribute to the advancement and commercialization of next-generation wearable medical technology.
The results of this study were published in the international journal "Science Advances" on Feb. 12.
References
Science Advances (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads1301