Tactile sensor with standing piezoresistive cantilevers, covered with 2-layer skin type structures for texture detection of object surface

In this report, we proposed and fabricated a prototype tactile sensor with skin type structure to detect the object surface by scanning. The prototype sensor was composed of two different stiffness layers of elastomers as epidermis-dermis. Epidermal ridge and papillary ridge like structures are formed on a top layer of proposed structure. To measure its deformation, standing piezoresistive cantilevers are placed beside the papillary ridge. Since the papillary ridge deforms with the standing cantilever, it will causes unique deformation to the sensor. In this study, we confirmed the efficiency of the proposed tactile sensor with the scanning test of the object surface with grating. In the scanning test, contact angle of the sensor was related to its response. We verified the relationship between the contact angle and the sensor response and showed sensorpsilas efficiency for texture detection.