Loomia’s Smart Skin Tactile Sensing Dev Kit includes both capacitive and force-sensitive resistor sensors. Source: Loomia
Sensing “skin” is among the technologies in development around physical AI including humanoid robots. Materials company Uni-Chem Co. this month acquired Loomia Technologies Inc. to enter the market for “electronic skin” for humanoids, as well as the market for interior materials for smart mobility.
Flexible electronics maker Loomia previously partnered with R&Y Corp. to jointly develop and mass-produce next-generation tactilesensorsfor robots.
“Loomia’s core technology will become the core hardware of the tactile revolution, going beyond just vision to drive innovation in robotics,” stated an executive in charge of strategy at Unichem. “Based on our strong manufacturing foundry partnership with R&Y, we aim to establish a foothold for targeting the North American market and concentrate our company-wide capabilities to ensure that Unichem’s smart materials are incorporated as key components into the next-generation physical AI projects of leading global tech companies.”
Stanford University graduate Madison Maxey founded Loomia in 2014. The Brooklyn, N.Y.-basedcompany‘s proprietary LEL (Loomia Electronic Layer) technology allows for flexible bonding of electronic circuits to cloth and leather.
Loomia said it has “overcome the disconnection issue during bending, a drawback of traditional printed electronics, with its non-printed, low-resistance mesh technology.” The company is a member of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity Engineering Research Center (HAND ERC). The tactile sensing consortium also includesMetaandAmazon Robotics.
Last year, Loomialaunched its first tactile sensing developer kit, which is currentlysold out. The physicalAIcompany hasworked withindustrialautomation and robotic hand providerFesto. It said it is making tactile sensors more affordable and easier to integrate for robotics developers.
Founded in 1976, Unichem produces natural leather goods for theautomotiveinterior and fashion industries. The Ansan, South Korea-basedcompanysaid the acquisition will accelerate its shift to smart materials for global automakers such as Volkswagen Group.
The company said it expects to complete the acquisition process on Oct. 15 through a reverse triangular merger with a newly established Unichem subsidiary.
Unichem said it plans to integrate 50 years of leather-processing infrastructure with Loomia’s ultra-thin, flexible LEL technology. Maxey and Kim Han-joo, chief science officer of Unichem, will serve as co-CEOs. The companies said they plan to retain all key engineers as part of Unichem’s North American research and development and U.S. market-entry hub.
Founded in 2022, R&Y is a global Tier 1 automotive technology andmanufacturingcompany with a market capitalization of more than $1 billion and over 2,000 employees worldwide. It has operations in Bösel, Germany; Wixom, Mich.; and Changzhou, China.
R&Y provides co-development, engineering, and production capabilities spanning precision machining, injection molding and tooling, printed electronics, dielectrics, and simulation. Troy, Mich.-basedsubsidiaryof Rying Electronics said it is expanding intohumanoidrobotics and electronicskintechnologies.