Design and Fabrication of Wearable Flexible 3D Tactile Sensors

In recent years, flexible haptic sensors have gained significant attention for their potential in robotics, inspired by the tactile sensing capabilities of human skin. These sensors enable robots to detect a wide range of haptic information, such as pressure and slip, thereby enhancing their flexibility and sensory capabilities. This paper introduces a flexible 3D haptic sensor with high sensitivity and low hysteresis, designed to detect both normal and tangential forces. The sensor features a three-layer structure: the top layer consists of a flexible square magnet that deforms under external forces, enabling force detection; the middle layer is made of Ecoflex 00–30 elastomer; and the bottom layer is a flexible circuit board (FPCB) embedded with Hall sensors that convert magnetic field changes into electrical signals. The flexible sensor is integrated into a smart glove by sewing it onto the thumb and index finger positions. By combining sensor data with machine learning algorithms, the glove achieves handwriting recognition with a classification accuracy of 96.67%. Additionally, the glove incorporates slip sensing capabilities to monitor grip states in real-time during object manipulation. These features make the sensor highly suitable for applications in wearable technology and human-computer interaction, with promising prospects for advancing human-robot interaction and robotics in general.