A Bioinspired Multifunctional Adhesive-Tactile E-Skin Enabled for Adaptive Grasping and Slip Detection

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Materials Science
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Robotic grasping faces a challenge balancing strong adhesion with easy release, especially for delicate or heavy items.
• Existing thermoresponsive adhesives lack real-time tactile feedback, hindering adaptive control in dynamic tasks.
• Tree frog toe pads demonstrate a synergistic adhesive-tactile mechanism crucial for grip control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multifunctional electronic skin (e-skin) that integrates tunable adhesion and tactile perception for closed-loop robotic manipulation.
• To address the limitations of current robotic grasping systems by enabling adaptive control through sensory feedback.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a temperature-regulated adhesive layer using a PDMA-co-LMA copolymer.
• Development of a tactile perception layer using a clay-reinforced PDMA/ILs ionogel.
• Integration of layers with a real-time slip detection algorithm for closed-loop control.

Main Results:

• The adhesive layer demonstrated strong adhesion (143.46 kPa at 25 °C) and rapid release (96.23% reduction at 85 °C).
• The tactile layer showed a wide linear range (0-300 kPa) and high sensitivity (13.129 kPa^-1).
• The integrated system achieved over 95% success in preventing slip and object damage during manipulation tasks.

Conclusions:

• The developed e-skin successfully merges tunable adhesion with tactile perception for robust robotic grasping.
• This technology enables adaptive, nondestructive manipulation in dynamic environments, advancing intelligent robotic systems.
• The biomimetic approach offers a promising strategy for future robotic grasping applications.