Surface-based Manipulation Using Tunable Compliant Porous-Elastic Soft Sensing

TL;DR

This paper presents COPESS, a tunable soft sensing surface with adjustable compliance and sensitivity, enabling delicate and adaptive object manipulation in soft robotics.

Contribution

Introduction of a novel tunable porous-elastic soft sensor with adjustable lattice geometry for co-optimizing compliance and sensing performance.

Findings

Adjusting lattice density from 7% to 20% significantly changes sensitivity and force range.

The sensor can be tuned to handle objects with varying mechanical properties.

The approach enables passive, programmable delicate manipulation.

Abstract

There is a growing need for soft robotic platforms that perform gentle, precise handling of a wide variety of objects. Existing surface-based manipulation systems, however, lack the compliance and tactile feedback needed for delicate handling. This work introduces the COmpliant Porous-Elastic Soft Sensing (COPESS) integrated with inductive sensors for adaptive object manipulation and localised sensing. The design features a tunable lattice layer that simultaneously modulates mechanical compliance and sensing performance. By adjusting lattice geometry, both stiffness and sensor response can be tailored to handle objects with varying mechanical properties. Experiments demonstrate that by easily adjusting one parameter, the lattice density, from 7 % to 20 %, it is possible to significantly alter the sensitivity and operational force range (about -23x and 9x, respectively). This approach establishes a blueprint for creating adaptive, sensorized surfaces where mechanical and sensory properties are co-optimized, enabling passive, yet programmable, delicate manipulation.