3D printing of soft sensors for soft gripper applications

Abstract

Soft robotics is gaining more interest because of the increasing demands in the manufacturing line to handle various types of delicate parts. The progress in the development of soft robotics does not only rely on the technology in the fabrication of the soft gripper structures, it also depends significantly on the integration of electronics such as the soft sensors and circuits. 3D printing technology is an important manufacturing tool for soft robotics due to its ability to fabricate designs with complex geometry and multi-material printing capability. Herein, the recently developed soft electronics such as sensors and circuits that involved the use of 3D printing technology are focused upon. In this article, the various designs of soft sensors, their fabrication techniques, and the materials used will be introduced. Besides, the design considerations and requirements for soft electronics will be presented. Lastly, the potential applications and the future outlook of soft electronics for soft grippers will be discussed.