Chinese Academy of Sciences develops an integrated tactile sensing system based on friction nanogenerators

[China Instrument Network Instrument R&D] The rapid development of smart devices in recent years has led to higher requirements for smart robots and other devices. Different from the working mode of traditional industrial robots, intelligent robots need more autonomous work capabilities. This requires not only smart robots have better software systems, but also their sensors are more intelligent. Touch sensing is one of them.

Human touch is a highly complex and versatile sensing system. Research on the development of artificial haptic systems with similar functions has received constant attention. Considering the similarity between the tactile action process and frictional motion, tactile sensors based on friction nanogenerators have been continuously studied. These studies mainly focus on sensing in a single haptic domain (such as contact perception, sliding touch, etc.), while human touch is a multi-functional integrated system. In addition, artificial tactile sensors still require more intelligent designs.

Recently, a team led by Professor Wang Zhonglin and Professor Cao Xia of the Beijing Institute of Nano Energy and Systems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a versatile integrated tactile sensing system by combining the advantages of single-electrode and dual-electrode friction nanogenerators. This new multi-functional haptic system combines the advantages of single-electrode friction nanogenerators in the fields of contact and positioning. It also takes advantage of the dual-electrode mode in the field of mechanical motion sensing, achieving contact, relative hardness, and contacts. Location and contact force sensing. The touch sensor has a good linear response to external forces in the range of 40-140N. The contact has a 2mm plane resolution. Relevant results were published in the ACS Nano journal (DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b00396). This work not only proposes a method for constructing a multi-functional tactile sensing system, but also further demonstrates the application of friction nano-generators in the field of smart tactile sensing.

(Original Title: Multifunctional Tactile Sensing System Based on Friction Nano Generators)