Modeling and Design of a Soft Capacitive Slip Sensor with Fluid Dielectric Interlayer

This paper presents the design, modeling, and experimental validation of a capacitive tactile sensor specifically conceived to sense shear-driven contact dynamics in robotic manipulation. The proposed device is a layered flexible capacitive structure, in which controlled tangential interactions are induced. The electrode design maximizes sensitivity to shear motion and promotes an isotropic response with respect to slip direction, thereby addressing two key limitations that affect the majority of existing slip-sensing technologies. An analytical model was developed to describe the essential relationship between shear-induced displacements and the electrical response, providing insight into the design parameters and supporting the selection of geometry and materials. To test the sensor in real conditions, a dedicated capacitive readout circuit based on high-frequency excitation and synchronous demodulation was developed to robustly acquire capacitance variations while rejecting static offsets and parasitic effects. Several formulations for the interposed dielectric layer material were investigated, including viscous fluids and composite mixtures with high-permittivity nanoparticles, with the aim of improving electrical sensitivity while preserving mechanical stability. Experimental results obtained under controlled loading and sliding conditions demonstrate that the sensor is highly sensitive to changes in contact state and tangential interaction dynamics. The sensor responded consistently to both load-induced shear and slip-related phenomena, enabling the reliable monitoring of contact dynamics rather than binary slip detection. A proof-of-concept integration into a robotic finger confirms the suitability of the proposed approach for grasp monitoring.