A Durable Optical Tactile Sensor for Applications in Walking Robots
摘要
In this work, we present a novel tactile sensor designed to detect shear strain using a camera-based optical system. The sensor operates by capturing images of a specially patterned silicone elastomer and reconstructing the contact surface’s mechanical deformation using B-spline surfaces. We provide preliminary characterization of the sensor, including its force response, shear strain estimation accuracy, and demonstrate its use-case example of seven shape recognition task. To evaluate its robustness, we subjected the outermost layer to repeated tearing, confirming the sensor’s durability. Additionally, the entire system is low-cost and easily fabricated using 3D-printed components and off-the-shelf materials, making it accessible for a wide range of robotics applications.