Developing Smart Skin: A Force Sensor-Based Touch and Pressure Detector

This research discusses the advancements in developing smart skin by employing Force Sensitive Resistor (FSR). The objective of this research is to advance research on the fundamental concept of artificial skin that relies on the human sense of touch sensors especially in pressure to imitate the sensory capabilities of human skin, since humans are incapable of accurately quantifying the pain induced by external pressure. Therefore, by employing FSR sensors, the acquired data will be stabilized, thereby serving as a dependable reference. A prototyping method is implemented in this research to construct and observe the smart skin design. This research is utilized RP-S40-ST and FS7548 sensors for gathering data pressure and touch. The smart skin is coated with an elastomeric substance that closely resembles human skin in terms of its flexibility, softness, and mechanical properties. The FSR sensor is linked to a microcontroller board called TTGO LoRa OLED, which enables the integration of data transfer for further development through the Long Range (LoRa) protocol. The AMF-500 force gauge functions as a standard for converting data obtained from analog sensors into precise force (N) and pressure measurements (kPa). This research represents a significant step towards developing smart skin using FSR sensors that aim to mimic human touch by detecting external pressure up to a maximum of under 60 Newtons and a maximum bend of under 90 degrees.