Hanyang University Department of Chemical Engineering Professor Kim Do-hwan's co-research team developed "Smart Luminescent Electronic Skin" that changes brightness according to the pressing force. The electronic skin is a soft and elastic electronic device that detects temperature, density, and pressure, having similar functionality as human skin.

The research was co-conducted by Professor Kim and Professor Kang Mun-sung of Seokang University. The research was posted online on the 2nd in the international academic journal of materials chemistry field,  Advanced Materials. The thesis' name is Visco-Poroelastic Electrochemiluminescence Skin with Piezo-Ionic Effect. 

The original electronic skin needed two separated devices to sense the user's pressure and a display function, and it also had limited operations on skin with low electricity. Additionally, it would only detect the existence of pressure, not being sensitive enough to detect changes in pressure and provide visual feedback accordingly.

To improve these matters, the research team gained insight from sea plankton which changes its brightness when stimulated by the flow of seawater. from this, they constructed electronic skin from an elastic high molecule material and a light-emitting material integrated together. They used the principle where the brightness of the light changes only on the force's strength on the pressed area, shown by the change of ion dispersion within the material.

Through this research, they created a thin film-shaped light-emitting material that can detect the area locaction and simulation strength, and displays it with light simultaneously, without having to construct separate pressure detecting devices, light-emitting devices, and connecting circuits. The newly created electronic skin can create lights of various brightness according to the scale of pressure that is also created through human hands (0~60kPa).

Moreover, the developed electronic skin also created an interesting result where its brightness increased in proportion with the increased stimulation. This is a different tendency from the previously reported electronic skins and is an advantageous distinction in dividing the strength of stimulation.

Professor Kim explained that this research result, "holds great meaning in providing a new operating method that controls ion dispersion within light-emitting skin, based on the change of pressure." Professor Kim also anticipates that "with this technology's possibile applications to flexible touchscreens, buttonless displays, and other user-friendly immersible interfaces, I hope this research can also be integrated into visual and touch interfaces between the users and materials in the era of IoT."

Afterwards, Professor Kim discussed the desire to develop the technology for practical use, by saying, "bio-friendly materials will need to be used to attach the electric skin directly to the human body. He added, "another concrete research on the effects of this technology  on the body is also needed."

Meanwhile, the research was conducted with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT, as well as the National Research Foundation.