Cost-Effective Processing of Flexible Tactile Sensors for e-skin Applications

Research into humanoid robotics explores interactive artificial smart skins that detect real-life cues and interact with humans. This study delves into a cost-effective approach for creating e-skin sensors, particularly utilizing room-temperature liquid metal in various sensory configurations. Proposing a novel Gallium-Indium-tin alloy (Galinstan) microfluidic sensor employs PDMS microchannels filled with Galinstan, offering stretchability, high sensitivity, and skin-mountable properties. The prototype processing involves using slender nylon threads within cross-linked PDMS to craft microchannel patterns. Liquid metal-based sensor demonstrates resilience, flexibility, and accurate detection of force and temperature variations, holding promising applications in robotics and healthcare. The promising facile, cost-effective process integration for these e-skin sensors realization is discussed in this article.