A skin-like conformal sensor for real-time shape mapping

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Yin, Kaiping, Im, Sooik, Qiu, Chaorui, Bai, Yun, Lu, Xiangyu, Li, Chenhang, Yao, Junjie, Ni, Xiaoyue
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author Yin, Kaiping
Im, Sooik
Qiu, Chaorui
Bai, Yun
Lu, Xiangyu
Li, Chenhang
Yao, Junjie
Ni, Xiaoyue
author_facet Yin, Kaiping
Im, Sooik
Qiu, Chaorui
Bai, Yun
Lu, Xiangyu
Li, Chenhang
Yao, Junjie
Ni, Xiaoyue
contents Reliable real-time 3D shape sensing is essential for robust control and interpretation of deformable systems during motion. Existing vision-based approaches require line-of-sight and complex instrumentation, limiting operation in occluded and space-constrained settings. Here, we introduce a scalable, skin-like sensor that reconstructs its continuous 3D deformation in real time from distributed strain measurements. The device embeds a 2D array of mirror-stacked, printed oxidized eutectic gallium-indium (o-EGaIn) strain gauges within an elastomeric film to measure off-neutral-axis strains. Combined with a mechanics-informed observation model and a fast optimization routine, the system estimates local curvature, elongation, offset, and orientation under concurrent stretching, bending, and indentation, enabling reconstruction of complex surfaces. A 5-by-5 array with a 12 mm pitch achieves a mean surface reconstruction error of 0.62 mm with 0.1s latency across all tested scenarios. When conforming to complex surfaces, the sensor provides fast 3D shape mapping of the underlying geometry. Demonstrations involving palm gesturing, finger indentation, and contact-induced balloon deformation highlight utility for epidermal motion tracking, haptic interaction, and intraoperative monitoring.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_01170
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A skin-like conformal sensor for real-time shape mapping
Yin, Kaiping
Im, Sooik
Qiu, Chaorui
Bai, Yun
Lu, Xiangyu
Li, Chenhang
Yao, Junjie
Ni, Xiaoyue
Applied Physics
Robotics
Reliable real-time 3D shape sensing is essential for robust control and interpretation of deformable systems during motion. Existing vision-based approaches require line-of-sight and complex instrumentation, limiting operation in occluded and space-constrained settings. Here, we introduce a scalable, skin-like sensor that reconstructs its continuous 3D deformation in real time from distributed strain measurements. The device embeds a 2D array of mirror-stacked, printed oxidized eutectic gallium-indium (o-EGaIn) strain gauges within an elastomeric film to measure off-neutral-axis strains. Combined with a mechanics-informed observation model and a fast optimization routine, the system estimates local curvature, elongation, offset, and orientation under concurrent stretching, bending, and indentation, enabling reconstruction of complex surfaces. A 5-by-5 array with a 12 mm pitch achieves a mean surface reconstruction error of 0.62 mm with 0.1s latency across all tested scenarios. When conforming to complex surfaces, the sensor provides fast 3D shape mapping of the underlying geometry. Demonstrations involving palm gesturing, finger indentation, and contact-induced balloon deformation highlight utility for epidermal motion tracking, haptic interaction, and intraoperative monitoring.
title A skin-like conformal sensor for real-time shape mapping
topic Applied Physics
Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01170