A Highly Robust Contact Sensor for Precise Contact Detection of Fabric

Automation in the apparel and textile industry has long been a pursuit. However, accurately locating the surface of a fabric remains a challenge, limiting the automation in sorting, packaging, and other processes. When humans locate clothing, they rely on contact feedback for the exact position of the clothing surface. As existing contact detection solutions are significantly affected by environmental factors, it is essential to develop a sensor with robust contact detection capabilities. In this work, we introduce a contact sensor with high robustness and high force resolution. This contact sensor detects contact by measuring the deformation of an elastomer using a distancemeasuring module. Based on the deformation characteristics of the elastomer, we designed a detection algorithm that not only reduces the noise of data but also extracts features such as trends and elastomer states, enabling reliable contact detection. Through experiments, we validated that this contact sensor can detect contact forces as low as 0.017 N and is robust to external interference or sensor movement. We also verified that the sensor can process data within 7.5 ms and return contact detection with 95% accuracy. Additionally, we assessed its effectiveness in real fabric contact scenarios.