Artificial Tactile Sensor Structure for Surface Topography Through Sliding

Tactile sensors mimicking the human sense of touch have been studied and various technologies for the sensing of external stimuli have been suggested as well. Humans detect certain external stimuli and become aware of related sensations, such as roughness or smoothness. Among the various physical parameters, surface information is the most informative type of perception to impart these sensations onto an electromechanical system, such as an android robot or a smart phone. Here, an array sensor, which uses a sliding method for the precise perception of surface information, such as shapes and structures, is demonstrated. The suggested array sensor design with the excellent dynamic response of a piezoelectric material results in enhanced spatial resolutions with sliding motions and detects variable sliding speeds. A soft material was employed to the sensor to enhance the capability of shape distinction. Color mapping was applied to translate surface patterns into visual images. The reconfigured surface information had high accuracy compared to actual information. The demonstrated sliding speed, pattern detection, and shape detection capabilities as well as the higher spatial resolutions allow the sensor to be utilized as an artificial tactile sensor.