Tactile Sensing

Tactile sensors convert mechanical contact into electrical signals using various technologies. Resistive sensors change resistance under pressure. Capacitive sensors detect proximity and contact through capacitance changes. Piezoelectric sensors generate voltage when mechanically stressed. Optical sensors use light transmission changes in deformable materials. High-resolution tactile skins use arrays of small sensors (taxels) providing spatial touch mapping. Multi-axis sensors detect normal force, shear force, and torque. Some systems integrate temperature sensing. Signal processing extracts contact location, force magnitude, contact area, and texture information. Advanced skins provide near-human tactile resolution for detecting fine textures and gentle contacts.

Tactile sensing enables robots to detect successful object grasping through contact confirmation. Texture discrimination identifies materials by feel - distinguishing wood from metal, or ripe from unripe fruit. Slip detection triggers grip adjustment to prevent dropping objects. Gentle manipulation of fragile items uses tactile feedback to modulate force. Safe human interaction detects unexpected contact for collision avoidance. Dexterous in-hand manipulation tracks object pose through tactile cues. Assembly verification confirms proper part insertion. Exploration strategies use touch to gather information about occluded objects.