Revolutionary Skin-Like Sensors: Paving the Way for Advanced Robotics and Prosthetics

In a remarkable breakthrough, scientists from the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have achieved a significant milestone in the field of soft sensors. These innovative universal measurement cells can now be seamlessly attached to virtually any type of object, presenting a plethora of applications, particularly in robotics and prosthetics.

Understanding the world around us is intrinsically linked to how we interact with it. Shape, a fundamental aspect of objects, dictates the range of tasks we can perform with them. Sonja Groß, a researcher at MIRMI, emphasizes that physical properties, such as hardness and flexibility, further influence our ability to grasp and manipulate these objects. For years, the ultimate goal in robotics and prosthetics has been to replicate the sensorimotor skills of the human hand, as seen in force and torque sensors integrated into many robotic devices. These sensors offer valuable insights into the interactions between artificial hands and their environment. However, they have been limited in terms of customization and cannot be easily attached to various objects.

Presenting their breakthrough at the prestigious ICRA robotics conference in London, Sonja Groß and Diego Hidalgo introduced a novel framework for soft sensors. The key innovation lies in a soft, skin-like material that conforms to the surface of objects. To achieve this, the researchers developed a highly automated production process utilizing cutting-edge software and 3D printing technology. The process involves injecting conductive black paste into liquid silicone, which hardens while retaining the fluid paste within. Consequently, when the soft sensors experience compression or stretching, their electrical resistance changes. This principle allows the researchers to gain insights into the amount of force applied to a surface and, more importantly, to understand how an artificial hand interacts with various objects.

What sets this work apart is the adaptability of the sensors embedded in silicone. These sensors conform to the shape of the object they are in contact with, such as fingers or hands, while still providing precise and invaluable data about the interactions with the environment.

The potential of this innovation is enormous, particularly for the fields of robotics and prosthetics. "The integration of these soft, skin-like sensors in 3D objects opens up new paths for advanced haptic sensing in artificial intelligence," declares Prof. Sami Haddadin, Executive Director of MIRMI. The real-time feedback provided by these sensors on compressive forces and deformations expands the perception range of objects and robotic hands, leading to more sophisticated and sensitive interactions.

Prof. Haddadin further explains that this groundbreaking work has the potential to trigger a revolution in various industries. By enabling the creation of wireless and customizable sensor technology for a wide range of objects and machines, the impact of this research on robotics, prosthetics, and human-machine interactions could be transformative.

The paper detailing this groundbreaking research has been published as part of the 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). With such an impressive breakthrough, the future holds exciting possibilities for the integration of soft sensors in robotics and prosthetics, bringing us one step closer to replicating the intricate sensorimotor capabilities of the human hand in artificial intelligence.

______

More information: Sonja Groß et al, Soft Sensing Skins for Arbitrary Objects: An Automatic Framework, 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (2023). DOI: 10.1109/ICRA48891.2023.10161344

Subscribe to @science telegram channel