A groundbreaking development in sensory materials has emerged from a collaboration between researchers in Italy and Brazil: a wide-area artificial skin capable of feeling touch much like human skin. This bio-inspired skin not only detects the location of contact with millimeter-level precision, but also measures the intensity of the touch, making it a significant leap toward more lifelike sensory interfaces.

At its core, the innovation relies on a flexible surface embedded with optical fiber sensors that respond in real time to pressure and gentle touches. But the true magic lies in the computational backbone - a spiking neural network - that processes tactile data in a way that mirrors the mechanisms of the human nervous system.