Numerous roboticists worldwide were trying to develop robotics systems that can replicate the human sense of touch.
Researchers at Beihang University in Beijing created tactile sensing techniques that could be applied to robotic fingers made of soft materials. This technique is stimulated by proprioception, the biological mechanism that allows mammals to perceive or be aware of their body’s position and movements.
“The idea behind our recent paper is based on the proprioception framework found in humans, which is what determines our body position and load on our tendons/joints,” Chang Cheng, one of the researchers who carried out the study, said “Think about when you put a blindfold on and cover your ears, you can still feel your hand posture, arm position, or how heavy a grocery bag is; this ability is known as proprioception. We have been working on a prosthetic hand research project and we are looking for ways to address the lack of sensory feedback in existing prosthetic hands.”
applying proprioceptor to robotic fingers could help researchers to gather more precise tactile sensory feedback.
