Abstract
Sensors are essential in the haptic technology of soft robotics, which includes the technology of humanoids. Haptic sensors can be simulated by the mimetic organ of perceptual cells in the human body. However, there has been little research on the morphological fabrication of cutaneous receptors embedded in a human skin tissue utilizing artificial materials. In the present study, we fabricated artificial, cell-like cutaneous receptors embedded in skin tissue mimicking human skin structure by utilizing rubber. We addressed the fabrication of five cutaneous receptors (free nerve endings, Krause and bulbs, Meissner corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles and Ruffini endings). In addition, we investigated the effectiveness of the fabricated tissue for mechanical and thermal sensing. At first, in the production of integrated artificial skin tissue, we proposed a novel magnetic, responsive, intelligent, hybrid fluid (HF), which is suitable for developing the hybrid rubber skin. Secondly, we presented the fabrication by utilizing not only the HF rubber but our previously proposed rubber vulcanization and adhesion techniques with electrolytic polymerization. Thirdly, we conducted a mechanical and thermal sensing touch experiment with the finger. As a result, it demonstrated that intelligence as a mechanoreceptor or thermoreceptor depends on its fabric: the HF rubber sensor mimicked Krause and bulbs has the thermal and pressing sensibility, and the one mimicked Ruffini endings the shearing sensibility.
Highlights
Sensors are required in both hard and soft robotics [1]
We propose a fabrication technique using rubber involving magnetic responsive fluid for cutaneous receptors mimicking human perceptual cells and a body part, the finger, with the rubber sensor embedded in urethane rubber (U)
As a first step, we presented the viability of the fabrication of a finger involving simulated cutaneous receptors for both mechanical and thermal sensing: forcing, thermo and shearing sensibility, which are demonstrated as typical cases in our daily life: touching a body, touching a hot or cold water in washing a face or bathing, or robbing a rough body surface
Summary
Sensors are required in both hard and soft robotics [1]. Hard robotics deals with rigid structural materials actuated by mechatronic definitions with powered controllers and computers, while soft robotics predominantly utilizes soft materials involving elastomers, thin, flexible sheets, liquids, etc. In the case of soft robotics, sensing intelligence is often provided in the soft material, which utilizes rubber that is conductive due to a compounding filler such as carbon black [7] or magnetic powder [2]. The addition of such a filler into a material such as Q makes the material mechanically harder. We propose a fabrication technique using rubber involving magnetic responsive fluid for cutaneous receptors mimicking human perceptual cells and a body part, the finger, with the rubber sensor embedded in urethane rubber (U). For the possible combination of rubber and magnetic responsive fluid such as magnetic fluid (MF), the magnetic responsive fluid may include water, kerosene, or silicone oil.
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