A tactile sensor for recognition of softness using interlocking structure of carbon nanoparticle- polydimethylsiloxane composite

Abstract

This study introduces a novel tactile sensor designed with an interlocking structure of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) embedded with carbon nanoparticles (CNP), aimed at enhancing the detection and differentiation of material softness. This sensor emulates the human tactile sense by detecting softness through measuring not only the pressure applied but also the transient state during material deformation to reach the indentation depth, thus providing a comprehensive softness profile. Our results reveal that the sensor effectively recognizes softness across a variety of materials and working environments, considering tolerances against operational variations. This is supported by tests conducted using a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN).