# Bionic Touch Sensations Oak Ridge National Laboratory Replicates Touch With Carbon Nanotubes By Meghan Young | Published 2010-04-27 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carbon-nanotubes References: [psfk](http://www.psfk.com/2010/04/replicating-human-sense-of-touch-through-nerve-like-nanotubes.html) & [gizmag](http://www.gizmag.com/ornl-carbon-nanotube-bionic-sense-of-touch/14898/) Although used for many other industries, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has discovered a way to create a [robotic sense of touch](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vulcan-robot) through its fibers using carbon nanotubes. Mimicking nerve pathways, carbon nanotubes map out a more complex system of touch for potential [prosthetic developments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/robotic-hand1). Although such discoveries can help many disabled individuals across the globe, I wonder what it might entail for [purely robotic experiments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sharpawave)? ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.4/10 - Popularity: 42% | Activity: 81% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Robotic Touch Sensation:** Developing carbon nanotubes to replicate the sense of touch in robotics presents disruptive innovation opportunities in fields like healthcare and manufacturing. - **Prosthetic Enhancements:** Integrating carbon nanotubes to mimic nerve pathways opens doors for disruptive innovation in the prosthetics industry, enabling more advanced and lifelike artificial limbs. - **Advanced Sensory Systems:** Exploring the use of carbon nanotubes to create a more complex touch system can lead to disruptive innovation opportunities in industries such as virtual reality and gaming. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Healthcare:** Carbon nanotube-based touch replication could revolutionize the healthcare industry by improving the functionality and sensory perception of prosthetics. - **Manufacturing:** Implementing carbon nanotube touch sensors in manufacturing processes can enhance human-robot collaboration, leading to more efficient and precise production. - **Prosthetics:** The application of carbon nanotubes for replicating touch in prosthetic limbs holds disruptive innovation potential, enabling more natural and intuitive user experiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Bionic Knee Prostheses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/httpswwwmediamitedu.md) - [Comprehensive Tactile Sensing Infrastructure](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tactile-sensing-infrastructure.md) - [Robotic Hand Assistance Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bioservo-carbonhand.md) - [Smart Bionic Hands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-bionic-hand.md) - [Tactile-Focused Embodied AI Infrastructures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tactile-sensing.md) - [Fingertip Haptic Patches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/voxelite.md) - [Robotics-Focused AI Control Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carbon-ai.md) - [Microscale Swimming Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/swimming-robots-1.md) - [Reactive Robotic Textile Technologies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/motorskins-selk.md)