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The future of artificial skin that responds to touch and temperature

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode "The skin we're in"

Anna Maria Coclite is developing artificial skin, even more sensitive than our own. For burn victims and beyond, this "smart skin" has the potential to restore sensation to our body's largest organ.

About Anna Maria Coclite

Anna Maria Coclite is a professor in the Department of Physics, University of Bari Aldo Moro, in Italy. Previously, she was a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an associate professor at the Institute of Solid State Physics.

Her research interests focus on materials science, including thin film technologies and nanomaterials. In 2016, she received a European Research Council grant to study the sensors for artificial skins, or"smart skin."

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Rachel Faulkner White and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Web Resources

Related TED Bio: Anna Maria Coclite

Related TED Talk: The world's rarest diseases — and how they impact everyone

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Copyright 2025 NPR

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TED Radio Hour
Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Rachel Faulkner White
Rachel Faulkner is a producer and editor for TED Radio Hour.
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]