Fluidically Innervated Lattices Make Versatile and Durable Tactile Sensors

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Zhang, Annan, Flores-Acton, Miguel, Yu, Andy, Gupta, Anshul, Yao, Maggie, Rus, Daniela
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Zhang, Annan
Flores-Acton, Miguel
Yu, Andy
Gupta, Anshul
Yao, Maggie
Rus, Daniela
author_facet Zhang, Annan
Flores-Acton, Miguel
Yu, Andy
Gupta, Anshul
Yao, Maggie
Rus, Daniela
contents Tactile sensing plays a fundamental role in enabling robots to navigate dynamic and unstructured environments, particularly in applications such as delicate object manipulation, surface exploration, and human-robot interaction. In this paper, we introduce a passive soft robotic fingertip with integrated tactile sensing, fabricated using a 3D-printed elastomer lattice with embedded air channels. This sensorization approach, termed fluidic innervation, transforms the lattice into a tactile sensor by detecting pressure changes within sealed air channels, providing a simple yet robust solution to tactile sensing in robotics. Unlike conventional methods that rely on complex materials or designs, fluidic innervation offers a simple, scalable, single-material fabrication process. We characterize the sensors' response, develop a geometric model to estimate tip displacement, and train a neural network to accurately predict contact location and contact force. Additionally, we integrate the fingertip with an admittance controller to emulate spring-like behavior, demonstrate its capability for environment exploration through tactile feedback, and validate its durability under high impact and cyclic loading conditions. This tactile sensing technique offers advantages in terms of simplicity, adaptability, and durability and opens up new opportunities for versatile robotic manipulation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_21225
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fluidically Innervated Lattices Make Versatile and Durable Tactile Sensors
Zhang, Annan
Flores-Acton, Miguel
Yu, Andy
Gupta, Anshul
Yao, Maggie
Rus, Daniela
Robotics
Machine Learning
Systems and Control
Tactile sensing plays a fundamental role in enabling robots to navigate dynamic and unstructured environments, particularly in applications such as delicate object manipulation, surface exploration, and human-robot interaction. In this paper, we introduce a passive soft robotic fingertip with integrated tactile sensing, fabricated using a 3D-printed elastomer lattice with embedded air channels. This sensorization approach, termed fluidic innervation, transforms the lattice into a tactile sensor by detecting pressure changes within sealed air channels, providing a simple yet robust solution to tactile sensing in robotics. Unlike conventional methods that rely on complex materials or designs, fluidic innervation offers a simple, scalable, single-material fabrication process. We characterize the sensors' response, develop a geometric model to estimate tip displacement, and train a neural network to accurately predict contact location and contact force. Additionally, we integrate the fingertip with an admittance controller to emulate spring-like behavior, demonstrate its capability for environment exploration through tactile feedback, and validate its durability under high impact and cyclic loading conditions. This tactile sensing technique offers advantages in terms of simplicity, adaptability, and durability and opens up new opportunities for versatile robotic manipulation.
title Fluidically Innervated Lattices Make Versatile and Durable Tactile Sensors
topic Robotics
Machine Learning
Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21225