Towards Humanlike Social Touch for Sociable Robotics and Prosthetics: Comparisons on the Compliance, Conformance and Hysteresis of Synthetic and Human Fingertip Skins

TL;DR

This study compares the biomechanical properties of robotic and prosthetic skin materials with human fingertip skin to inform the development of more humanlike social touch interfaces.

Contribution

It introduces a methodology combining materials characterization, finite element modeling, and validation experiments to evaluate artificial skin materials against human skin.

Findings

Silicone and polyurethane did not match human fingertip properties

Finite element models validated against experimental data

Methodology can evaluate alternative materials or designs

Abstract

The artificial hands for sociable robotics and prosthetics are expected to be touched by other people. Because the skin is the main interface during the contact, a need arises to duplicate humanlike characteristics for artificial skins for safety and social acceptance. Towards the goal of replicating humanlike social touch, this paper compares the skin compliance, conformance and hysteresis of typical robotic and prosthetic skin materials, such as silicone and polyurethane, with the published biomechanical behaviour of the human fingertip. The objective was achieved through materials characterization, finite element (FE) modeling and validation experiments. Our initial attempt showed that the selected types of silicone and polyurethane materials did not exhibit the same qualities as the human fingertip skin. However, the methodologies described herein can be used to evaluate other materials, their possible combinations or other fingertip design configurations