BEIJING -- The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has expanded electronic skin (e-skin) functionality.

Sensing now includes temperature, strain, humidity, light, magnetic fields, pressure and proximity.

The human somatosensory system is a complex network that converts environmental stimuli into electrical impulses through various sensory receptors.

E-skin is a highly stretchable and conformable matrix network (SCMN). It can detect and quantify various stimuli to mimic the human somatosensory system through various sensory receptors and neural pathways, according to the article published in Nature Communications on Jan. 16.

Scientists made an intelligent prosthesis and demonstrated its use in real-time spatial pressure mapping and temperature estimation.

This SCMN is expected to have applications in robotics, prosthetics, human-machine interfaces and health.

E-skin is likely to boost the Internet of 'actions' (IoA), a new era of health care, medical science and robotics.

The ability to sense multiple stimuli is the ultimate goal for e-skin systems. Previous reports have mainly focused on single or dual sensory capabilities.