Synthesis and characterization of tactile sensor

Abstract

In the field of robotics, tactile sensors have been becoming increasingly more crucial as the need for interaction with varied objects and environments increases. This need exists both in industrial robotics and also social robotics. Tactile sensors help gauge the amount of force acting on an object which visual sensors alone are unable to measure.

Three-dimensional graphene foam has been in the limelight in recent years for its potential as a tactile sensor. This is due to the material possessing excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, biological inertness and mechanical stability. Current studies, however, employ complex methods in attaining a setup which portray the material as a potential artificial skin.

In this project, a stretchable tactile sensor setup is put together using graphene foam infused with poly(dimethylsiloxane). The graphene foam used in this project is fabricated using a chemical vapour deposition technique. The setup designed uses a simple circuit setup with an integrated chip, the LM3914, as a display driver for several LEDs. The LEDs display the corresponding degree of mechanical stimulation applied to the sensors. A sensor array is used to exhibit the ability of the setup to detect multiple mechanical stimulation points. The project hence demonstrates the potential of graphene foam being applied in a simple setup to serve as an artificial skin.