3D-Printed Perceptive Robotic End-Effectors With Embedded Multimodal Sensors

Robust perception is crucial for autonomous and intelligent robots, and this can be achieved through a network of multimodal sensors embedded in the robotic body, such as biological organs. Herein, we report a perceptive robotic end-effector developed using multimaterial additive manufacturing for the manipulation of delicate objects. The 3D-printed phalanges of the end-effector incorporate distributed resistive sensors to provide the multimodal touch and bend sensing capabilities. Each resistive sensor unit comprises a carbon black thermoplastic polyurethane-based conductive composite, along with a specially designed sensor frame for embedding purposes to ensure robustness. These embedded sensors show sensitivity of ∼0.16% N
^-1
to compressive pressure and 0.06% per degree of bending angle for applied strain. Furthermore, they exhibit temperature sensitivity, registering approximately 1.6% change in response to a temperature shift from room temperature 25 °C to 45 °C (hot perception), and approximately 1.3% for a change from 25 °C to 5 °C (cold perception). Finally, the 3D-printed end-effector is used to grasp daily objects, such as a soft ball and a paper cup, to demonstrate its practical applicability toward the development of artificial limbs and human-friendly soft robots.