Vibro-Perception of Optical Bio-Inspired Fiber-Skin

Abstract

In this research, based on the principle of optical interferometry, the Mach-Zehnder and Optical Phase-locked Loop (OPLL) vibro-perception systems of bio-inspired fiber-skin are designed to mimic the tactile perception of human skin. The fiber-skin is made of the optical fiber embedded in the silicone elastomer. The optical fiber is an instinctive and alternative sensor for tactile perception with high sensitivity and reliability, also low cost and susceptibility to the magnetic interference. The silicone elastomer serves as a substrate with high flexibility and biocompatibility, and the optical fiber core serves as the vibro-perception sensor to detect physical motions like tapping and sliding. According to the experimental results, the designed optical fiber-skin demonstrates the ability to detect the physical motions like tapping and sliding in both the Mach-Zehnder and OPLL vibro-perception systems. For direct contact condition, the OPLL vibro-perception system shows better performance compared with the Mach-Zehnder vibro-perception system. However, the Mach-Zehnder vibro-perception system is preferable to the OPLL system in the indirect contact experiment. In summary, the fiber-skin is validated to have light touch character and excellent repeatability, which is highly-suitable for skin-mimic sensing.

Tooth-Inspired Tactile Sensor for Detection of Multidirectional Force

“…In addition to the exterior, the skin’s interior structure was also used as inspiration, particularly the tactile receptors, which were imitated to augment the skin-type tactile sensor [16]. Many tactile sensors mimicked the papilla directly beneath the skin’s epidermis, in order to detect changes in an object’s surface shape [17,18]; the distribution of sensory receptors in detecting pressure, temperature [19], vibration, and sliding [20]; and the nerves connecting the skin to the central nervous system in the signal processing systems [21].…”