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Zhang Tong

Electric eels hunt in pitch-black, murky waters by generating electric fields around their bodies. Now, Chinese scientists have mimicked this natural radar, giving robots the ability to “feel” objects without making physical contact.
“We want the machine to sense an approaching target – distinguish its material and surface condition – before any physical contact,” said Zhang Weiqiang, a professor at Xidian University, in a video interview last week.
The team’s work was published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Materials.
The researchers drew inspiration from the eel’s locating system. The hunter generates an electric field around itself and reads distortions in that field caused by nearby objects. The researchers borrowed the same logic – build a field, detect disturbances and extract information.
The sensor is made of a specially treated fluoropolymer that acts like a tiny static battery. Once charged, it keeps its charge for a long time, creating a steady electric field around it – like an invisible spider’s web.
“When an object draws near, the sensor picks up changes in the field and from those changes, it can infer the object’s electrical conductivity, dielectric properties and geometric shape,” Zhang said.


The sensitivity is remarkable. The sensor can detect movement down to 50 micrometres – half the width of a human hair – producing a voltage change of about one volt. And after more than 10,000 approach-and-retreat cycles in the lab, its signal remained stable with no noticeable degradation.
Another strong point is its versatility. “This method doesn’t rely on lighting conditions,” Zhang added. “It can sense not only metal targets but also plastics, glass, wood and other materials.”
He predicted it could have future applications in robot manufacturing, equipment inspection and human-robot interaction. The sensor could complement vision, infrared and inductive systems for non-contact detection – for example, coating inspection or proximity warning.
On an assembly line, for instance, the device could “identify” materials from a distance, telling apart two items that look identical in colour and appearance as long as their materials differed.
In industrial non-destructive testing, it could effectively spot dents on coated glass, stainless steel and other surfaces.
“Even in aerospace, scenarios like space robot operations, monitoring equipment outside spacecraft, or on-orbit maintenance by robotic arms might one day benefit from this low-power, non-contact, light-independent proximity sensing,” Zhang said.
“For now, the sensor still needs close proximity to react. The next steps are to extend its range and improve its accuracy in complex environments,” he added.


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The robot’s fluoropolymer-coated sensor acts like a battery to create an electric field that can detect metal, plastics, glass and wood


The robot’s fluoropolymer-coated sensor acts like a battery to create an electric field that can detect metal, plastics, glass and wood.


China’s ‘electric eel’ sensor allows robots to feel an object without touching it

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The robot’s fluoropolymer-coated sensor acts like a battery to create an electric field that can detect metal, plastics, glass and wood

The robot’s fluoropolymer-coated sensor acts like a battery to create an electric field that can detect metal, plastics, glass and wood