SNU researchers develop artificial skin enabling robots to simultaneously sense temperature and pressure like humans for physical AI

Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Prof. Seung Hwan Ko of the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed an artificial skin technology that enables robots to sense temperature and pressure simultaneously, similar to human skin.

The team successfully created a novel multimodal tactile sensor capable of detecting both thermal and mechanical stimuli within a single ultrathin device. Inspired by the way human skin processes sensory information, the sensor is designed to efficiently extract temperature and pressure data from a single integrated platform.

Using a single attachable sensor combined with a wireless switching board and artificial intelligence, the researchers demonstrated the ability to identify 20 everyday objects with high accuracy comparable to human tactile perception. The study further confirmed that the technology can be extended to achieve high-resolution sensing at levels comparable to human touch. As such, the technology is expected to serve as a key enabler for emerging Physical AI systems.

The research, which has attracted global attention, was officially published on March 5 in Nature Materials (impact factor 38.5, top 1% in materials science).

Recently, “Physical AI,” which enables robots and artificial intelligence systems to interact with the real physical world, has gained increasing attention. Physical AI goes beyond simple computation, allowing machines to see, touch, feel, and make decisions based on their environment. Sensors capable of simultaneously detecting multiple tactile inputs—such as temperature and pressure, similar to human skin—are considered essential for realizing such systems.

Human skin can process diverse stimuli, including temperature and pressure, rapidly and precisely. However, existing multimodal sensory devices that attempt to replicate this functionality have typically relied on combining multiple sensors or stacking multiple functional layers. These approaches result in complex system structures, increased device size, slower response times due to reactive elements, and difficulty in precisely detecting multiple stimuli at the same location.

Therefore, there has been a strong demand for a new artificial tactile platform that can process complex stimuli quickly using a single thin and flexible sensor. In particular, multimodal tactile sensing technologies that mimic human skin are crucial for Physical AI, enabling robots to perceive their surroundings in a human-like manner.

To address this challenge, Prof. Ko’s team developed a device based on a core–shell nanowire network composed of a silver (Ag) core and a copper oxide (Cu₂O) shell. The device can switch between thermal sensing mode (T mode) and mechanical sensing mode (M mode) 16 times per second within a single structure. Thanks to its ultrathin single-layer design, the sensor achieves rapid response times—sub-microsecond for mechanical stimuli and millisecond-level for thermal stimuli.

In object classification experiments, the team trained an AI model using interleaved signals from both sensing modes. The classification accuracy improved significantly from approximately 65% (when using only thermal or mechanical signals) to 95%. Even with reduced data input, the model maintained a high accuracy of 94.53%. In further validation using a fingertip-mounted sensor integrated with a wireless measurement board, the system achieved an accuracy of 83% across 20 everyday objects.

* Interleaving: A method of alternating the measurement and collection of different signals at very short time intervals, enabling efficient separation and integration of multiple types of information within a single sensor.

The researchers also developed a multi-array platform capable of measuring temperature and pressure distributions at spatial resolutions comparable to human skin. This demonstrates that the technology can be scaled beyond single-device sensing to full artificial skin systems with human-like spatial resolution.

The multimodal artificial tactile sensor developed in this study is expected to be widely applied in fields such as prosthetics, wearable electronic skin, soft robotics, robotic grippers, and human–machine interfaces. It is anticipated to become a core technology for tactile perception in next-generation robots and Physical AI systems. Because the device can process multiple stimuli within a single ultrathin layer—without requiring complex stacking of multiple sensors—it offers significant advantages in system simplification and high-resolution sensing. This positions it as a promising foundation for next-generation intelligent tactile platforms.

Prof. Seung Hwan Ko stated, “This study is significant in that it demonstrates, for the first time, the ability to process both thermal and mechanical stimuli within a single ultrathin device without stacking multiple sensors. We expect this technology to evolve into a core solution for enabling human-level tactile perception in robots and to be widely applied in wearable electronic skin, prosthetics, and soft robotics.”

The study’s co-first authors, Kyun Kyu Kim and Junhyuk Bang, received their Ph.D. degrees from SNU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Kim is currently working at Apple in the United States, while Dr. Bang is continuing his research as a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology.

This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) under the Global Leader Research Program (Grant No. RS-2025-11092968).

□ Introduction to the SNU College of Engineering

Seoul National University (SNU) founded in 1946 is the first national university in South Korea. The College of Engineering at SNU has worked tirelessly to achieve its goal of ‘fostering leaders for global industry and society.’ In 12 departments, 323 internationally recognized full-time professors lead the development of cutting-edge technology in South Korea and serving as a driving force for international development.