Tactile sensations in robots are nothing new. In early 2020, a development team led by Minoru Asada from Osaka University in Japan unveiled the head of a child android , Affetto , capable of responding to affection and pain. We can mention the sensor system for a robot presented in 2019 by engineers from the Technical University of Munichconsisting of sensors the size of a 2 euro coin. Each of the sensors was capable of detecting contact, acceleration, proximity to an object, and temperature changes.
The peculiarity of the development of Cornell University is that their sensors are stretched, can be printed on a 3D printer and are much cheaper than their predecessors. The SLIMS (short for “stretchable lightguide for multimodal sensing” or “stretchable lightguide for multimodal sensing”) was inspired by silicon dioxide-based distributed fiber-optic sensors that respond to changes in humidity, temperature or shape.
New sensors will help robots and VR systems experience human touch. Photo: Cornell University
In the prototype glove, each finger has a stretchable light guide containing a pair of polyurethane elastomeric cores. One core is transparent and the other is filled with absorbent dye in several places and connected to an LED. Each core is connected to a red-green-blue sensor chip to capture geometric changes in the optical path of light. When you deform the light guide, for example by bending or squeezing your fingers, the dyes light up and accurately record what is happening. They also determine the specific location of the deformation and its magnitude.
The new stretch sensor uses a fairly simple and inexpensive technology. Since the glove is 3D printed and equipped with Bluetooth, it can transmit data to a program that reproduces movements in real time and responds to deformation. The glove also has built-in LED sensors and a lithium-ion battery.
According to the researchers, their development could be used to improve virtual reality systems and built into a robot's arm to give them touch. The team is also considering using this technology in physical therapy and sports medicine. The deformation-sensitive material will allow machines to “feel” the touch and thereby expand their capabilities.
Development in this direction is also underway in Russia. So, three years ago, scientists from Tyumen State University presented the development of " Avatar S ", which allows a person - a robot operator at a distance not only to see and hear (using virtual reality) but also to perceive tactile sensations.