Optoelectrothermic Control of Highly Integrated Polymer-Based MEMS Applied in an Artificial Skin

A large-scale integration technology for MEMS based on the optoelectrothermic control of a temperature-sensitive hydrogel is described and exemplified using an imaging array system, a so-called artificial skin. The hydrogel itself acts as active functional unit, i.e., as actuator. The artificial skin comprises more than 4000 individual actuators and provides both visual and palpable artificial impressions of a surface.