THE sky is definitely the limit for a Darlington firm which will supply a revolutionary new material to US space organisation NASA.

Peratech, of Morton Park, signed a contract to provide NASA with a special touch-sensitive coating for human-like robotic hands on Tuesday, in the latest in a series of prestige contracts which has put Peratech firmly on the technological design map.

The company has developed a touch-sensitive polymer, QTC (quantum tunnelling composite), over the last three years. The rubber-like material is an insulator in its normal state but changes gradually to a conductor by the simple application of finger pressure.

Mr David Lussey, who owns the firm, confirmed the news of the contract from his stand at the Tomorrow's World exhibition at Earl's Court in London this week.

"NASA put out a world order to see if anyone had the technology and we got the contract. We gave them a demonstration by video conference at Darlington college at Catterick and this was what convinced them we could do it," he said.

"The idea behind the hand is to replace men with robots to go into space and carry out repairs. The hand is the working part of the robot and, because the human hand is one of the best tools in the business, NASA wanted something that had the same properties."

The robotic hand, which Mr Lussey holds in our picture, will grip tools without crushing them or letting them slip through the fingers. Scientists on earth will be able to monitor the robots and adjust the hand pressure.

Mr Lussey added: "Work is starting on it now and the first batch will be delivered to NASA in six weeks time." - D&S