Perception of Surface Defects by Active Exploration with a Biomimetic Tactile Sensor

TL;DR

This paper presents a biomimetic tactile sensor that mimics human fingertip exploration to perceive surface defects, demonstrating how sensor responses depend on contact location and can be modeled linearly, with implications for robotic touch.

Contribution

A novel biomimetic tactile sensor with integrated micro-force sensors was developed to study active exploration of textured surfaces, providing insights into tactile transduction mechanisms.

Findings

Sensor response varies with contact location.

Linear model effectively explains sensor responses.

Implications for robotic tactile sensing discussed.

Abstract

We investigate the transduction of tactile information during active exploration of finely textured surfaces using a novel tactile sensor mimicking the human fingertip. The sensor has been designed by integrating a linear array of 10 micro-force sensors in an elastomer layer. We measure the sensors' response to the passage of elementary topographical features in the form of a small hole on a flat substrate. The response is found to strongly depend on the relative location of the sensor with respect to the substrate/skin contact zone. This result can be quantitatively interpreted within the scope of a linear model of mechanical transduction, taking into account both the intrinsic response of individual sensors and the context-dependent interfacial stress field within the contact zone. Consequences on robotics of touch are briefly discussed.