Stanford Self-Healing Synthetic Skin + Intracranial Nanowires: BCIs

Two new, very interesting articles. The creation of synthetic, self-healing skin -- and intracranial nano-wires for future brain-computer interfaces.

Stanford creates touch-sensitive, conductive, infinitely-self-healing synthetic skin

Stanford University material scientists have devised the first synthetic, plastic skin that is conductive, sensitive to touch, and capable of repeatedly self-healing at room temperature. The most immediate applications are in the realm of smart, self-healing prosthetic limbs that are covered in this synthetic skin — but in the long term, the plastic might be used to make self-healing electronic devices, or you might even elect to replace your fingertips (or other piece of skin) with the synthetic, bionic equivalent.

Intracranial nanowires: The basis of implanted brain-computer interfaces

Researchers at the University of Michigan have now created a flexible microthread electrode (MTE) that is only 7 micrometers in diameter, and can be bent into a full circle with a diameter of just a few hundred microns. It consists of an electrospun carbon fiber core with a thin film dielectric coating that is nonreactive inside the body.

If neurons can later be guided into these custom-built myelin guide tubes, larger-scale brain-computer interfaces may become more feasible. As implant technologies become more user friendly we will begin to see BCIs and BMIs (brain-machine interfaces) migrate from external toy-like curiosities to essential internal components of the post-human machine.

reply to post by Raelsatu


Let me guess, this infinitely self healing, bio-compatible engineerable skin is not pink, it's grey.

Who'd have thought...

reply to post by chr0naut


I see what you did there. =]

But no, I think you could make it any color you wanted. For example if you wanted to patch or replace parts of your skin (even all your skin), you could choose the shade/complexion that suits you. Pink, grey, brown, blue (avatar?), etc. Perhaps you could even have skin with electronic capabilities that allowed for changing colors & patterns instantly. Glowing and/or interactive tattoos of a sort.

Beyond the medical applications it could figure in the clothing industry as well as camouflage