A Modular Soft Magnetic Sensor with 3D Tactile Force Feedback for Adaptive Robot Grasping

Human hands are capable of very dexterous manipulation by relying solely on multimodal, directional feedback through physical touch. This level of tactile perception is difficult to reliably translate into sensors for robotic applications unless they are purpose-built for the task. Soft sensors are thus an appealing generalized solution owing to their naturally compliant structures closely mimicking the nuances of the human skin; however, minimal, extensible implementations remain an active challenge. We present a modular soft magnetic sensor closely mimicking the morphology of the human fingertip and capable of 3D force feedback, discussing standalone sensor elements and characteristics and demonstrating its potential use in adaptive robot grasping applications.