The development of flexible electronic skin could greatly help innovation in the fields of rehabilitation, healthcare, prosthetic limbs and robotics.

The team at Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech) and the University of Ulsan in South Korea, was inspired by the qualities of crocodile skin to develop a new type of stretchable pressure sensors, which can detect various types of touch and pressure.

Crocodiles possess a remarkable ability to sense small waves and detect the direction of their prey.

This ability is made possible by an incredibly sophisticated and sensitive sensory organ located on their skin. The organ is composed of hemispheric sensory bumps that are arranged in a repeated pattern with wrinkled hinges between them.

When the crocodile moves its body, the hinges deform while the sensory part remains unaffected by mechanical deformations, enabling the crocodile to maintain an exceptional level of sensitivity to external stimuli...