A Stanford University research team led by chemical engineer Zhenan Bao has developed a stretchy, transparent skin-like sensor out of carbon nanotubes which could be used in a variety of applications, including touch-sensitive prosthetic limbs and a variety of other medical applications, touch-sensitive computer displays, and, of course, robots.

Accomplished by spraying the nanotubes onto both sides of a thin layer of silicone and stretching the material out so that the nanotubes formed into tiny structures resembling springs, the “Smart Skin” has the ability to be stretched repeatedly without any permanent change to its shape. It is also able to sense varying amounts of pressure due to a silicon film sandwiched between the nanotube that stores electrical charge like a battery, allowing the carbon nanotubes to act like electrodes and sense any changes in the electrical charge caused by any pulling or squeezing.