soft-robotics

Robot Finger Feels in Color

A team of European scientists has developed a robotic fingertip with a synthetic skin that reflects different colors of light in response to mechanical deformation, enabling high-resolution sensing in real time. This innovative approach allows the fingertip to generate detailed maps of topology, strain, and contact pressure, mimicking the tactile experience of a human fingertip.

By RoboDex Editorial · NewsroomIEEE Spectrum RoboticsAug 1, 20262 min read

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roboticstactile sensingrobotic skinmechanochromic materialsIEEE Spectrum

The robotic fingertip, developed by a team from Queen Mary University of London, the University of Florence, the University of Trieste, and the University of Trento, uses a synthetic skin that reflects different colors of light when deformed. This allows the fingertip to generate detailed maps of its surroundings, such as the surface of a U.S. penny or a leaf. The technology is based on a material described in a paper from the journal Nature, which inspired the design of the mechanochromic skin.

Giacomo Sasso, a postdoctoral researcher at Queen Mary University of London, conceived the idea after encountering the concept of mechanochromic materials. By exposing a light-sensitive film to a laser, the team created a skin that changes color in response to mechanical stress, enabling real-time tactile sensing. This breakthrough could have significant implications for robotics, particularly in the development of more dexterous and sensitive robotic hands.