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Recently, a research team from Keio University in Japan successfully developed a flexible optical tactile sensor.This sensor can accurately detect both the location and intensity of pressure, featuring high sensitivity and stability, with a response time as short as 33 milliseconds. It is expected to be applied in next-generation robotic tactile interfaces, advanced medical diagnostic equipment, and faster responding wearable electronic devices. The related research results have recently been published in the journal Optics Letters.
Related paper: PDMS-Based Tactile Sensing: Distributed Sensor with a Multiple-Core Polymer Waveguide
The four-channel optical tactile sensor developed by the teamis compact, measuring 5 cm in length, 1.5 cm in width, and only 500 micrometers in thickness, while achieving precise localization of pressure points with a spatial resolution of about 1.5 mm. Its multi-optical channel design supports simultaneous pressure sensing at multiple locations and offers excellent scalability, laying the foundation for future functional upgrades.
Previously, some studies attempted to embed commercial glass optical fibers into polymer sheets to achieve tactile sensing functions, but such designs typically only support a single pathway; expanding to a multi-channel configuration requires complex rigid wiring, significantly limiting flexibility.
This time, the team innovatively adopted a self-developed polymer waveguide manufacturing methodcalled the “Mosquito Needle Method”, which injects liquid resin monomers into another liquid medium using a syringe, and then cures it with ultraviolet light to form the waveguide structure, greatly simplifying the preparation process. With the “Mosquito Needle Method,” the team can embed the polymer core layer into flexible silicone rubber sheets in just one step, significantly enhancing the flexibility of the waveguide structure design; at the same time, by controlling the core size and light confinement characteristics, they can precisely control the sensor’s sensitivity, further optimizing its performance.
The researchers applied pressure to the sensor by pressing with fingers or using a force gauge, while simultaneously monitoring changes in light output. The results showed thatthe sensor can accurately detect fingertip pressures equivalent to tapping on a smartphone screen, with a sensitivity of 8.7~10.9 dB/MPa; it can also capture changes in light intensity within 33 milliseconds, and its performance remains stable after multiple repeated cycle tests..
From an application value perspective, this technology can provide robotic systems with high-precision tactile perception capabilities, ensuring safer and more intuitive human-robot collaboration; in the medical field, it can also be integrated into bionic prosthetics, providing precise tactile feedback to help users achieve more natural gripping and operational actions, offering new directions for technological upgrades in related fields.
Source: Chemical Instrument Network Author: Gong Tong Reprint: Must be authorized by this account, please leave a message to contact
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