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Tactile sensation is an important sensory function for robots in contact with the external environment. To better acquire tactile information about objects, this paper aims to propose a three-layer structure of the interdigital flexible tactile sensor.

The sensor consists of a bottom electrode layer, a middle pressure-sensitive layer and a top indenter layer. First, the pressure sensitive material, structure design, fabrication process and circuit design of the sensor are introduced. Then, the calibration and performance test of the designed sensor is carried out. Four functions are used to fit and calibrate the relationship between the output voltage of the sensor and the contact force. Finally, the contact force sensing test of different weight objects and the flexible test of the sensor are carried out.

The performance test results show that the sensitivity of the sensor is 0.93 V/N when it is loaded with 0–3 N and 0.23 V/N when it is loaded with 3–5 N. It shows good repeatability, and the cross-interference between the sensing units is generally low. The contact force sensing test results of different weight objects show that the proposed sensor performs well in contact force. Each part of the sensor is a flexible material, allowing the sensor to achieve bending deformation, so that the sensor can better perceive the contact signs of the grasped object.

The sensor can paste the surface of the paper robot’s gripper to measure the contact force of the grasping object and estimate the contour of the object.

In this paper, a three-layer interdigital flexible tactile sensor is proposed, and the structural parameters of the interdigital electrode are designed to improve the sensitivity and response speed of the sensor. The indenter with three shapes of the prism, square cylinder and hemisphere is preliminarily designed and the prism indenter with better conduction force is selected through finite element analysis, which can concentrate the external force in the sensing area to improve the sensitivity. The sensor designed in this paper can realize the measurement of contact force, which provides a certain reference for the field of robot tactile.

Vision, audition, olfactory, tactile and taste are five important senses that human uses to interact with the real world. As facing more and more complex environments, a sensing system is essential for intelligent robots with various types of sensors. To mimic human-like abilities, sensors similar to human perception capabilities are indispensable. However, most research only concentrated on analyzing literature on single-modal sensors and their robotics application.

This study presents a systematic review of five bioinspired senses, especially considering a brief introduction of multimodal sensing applications and predicting current trends and future directions of this field, which may have continuous enlightenments.

This review shows that bioinspired sensors can enable robots to better understand the environment, and multiple sensor combinations can support the robot’s ability to behave intelligently.

The review starts with a brief survey of the biological sensing mechanisms of the five senses, which are followed by their bioinspired electronic counterparts. Their applications in the robots are then reviewed as another emphasis, covering the main application scopes of localization and navigation, objection identification, dexterous manipulation, compliant interaction and so on. Finally, the trends, difficulties and challenges of this research were discussed to help guide future research on intelligent robot sensors.

The paper aims to discuss the design, fabrication, communication, testing, and simulation of a new tactile probe called Elastirob used to measure the modulus of elasticity of biological soft tissues and soft materials.

Both finite element modeling and experimental approaches were used in this analysis. Elastirob, with the ability to apply different rates of strain on testing specimens, is accompanied by a tactile display called TacPlay. This display is a custom‐designed user‐friendly interface and is able to evaluate the elasticity in each part of the stress‐strain curve.

A new device is being constructed that can measure the modulus of elasticity of a sensed object. The results of Elastirob applied on two specimens are reported and compared by the results of experiments obtained by an industrial testing machine. Acceptable validations of Elastirob were achieved from the comparisons.

The designed system can be miniaturized to be used in minimally invasive surgeries in the future.

Elastirob determines the elasticity by drawing the stress‐strain curve and then calculating its slope. The combination of the force sensing resistor, microcontroller and stepper motor provides Elastirob with the ability to apply different rates of strain on testing specimens.

It can be employed in both in vivo and in vitro tests for measuring stiffness of touch objects. For the first time, a device has been designed and tested which is a few orders of magnitude smaller than its industrial counterparts and has considerably lower weight.

When designing hardware and algorithms for robotic manipulation and grasping, sensory information is typically needed to control the grasping process. This paper presents an overview of the major grasping and manipulation approaches and the more common hardware used to obtain the necessary sensory information.

This paper presents an overview of tactile sensing in intelligent robotic manipulation. The history, the common issues, and applications are reviewed. Sensor performance is briefly discussed and compared to the human tactile sense. Advantages and disadvantages of the most common sensor approaches are discussed. Some examples are given of sensors that are widely available as of today. Eventually, some examples of the state‐of‐the‐art in tactile sensing application are presented.

Although many sensor technologies and strong theoretical models have been developed, there is still much left to be done in intelligent grasping and manipulation. This is partly due to the youth of the field and the complex nature of safe control in uncertain environments. Even though there are impressive results when it comes to specific examples of advanced manipulation, there seems to be room for great improvements of hardware and especially algorithms when it comes to more generic everyday domestic tasks.

This paper presents a review of sensor hardware while also giving a glimpse of the major topics in grasping and manipulation. While better hardware of course is desirable, the major challenges seem to lie in the development and application of grasping and manipulation algorithms.

The purpose of this review paper is to address the substantial challenges of the outdated exoskeletons used for rehabilitation and further study the current advancements in this field. The shortcomings and technological developments in sensing the input signals to enable the desired motions, actuation, control and training methods are explained for further improvements in exoskeleton research.

Search platforms such as Web of Science, IEEE, Scopus and PubMed were used to collect the literature. The total number of recent articles referred to in this review paper with relevant keywords is filtered to 143.

Exoskeletons are getting smarter often with the integration of various modern tools to enhance the effectiveness of rehabilitation. The recent applications of bio signal sensing for rehabilitation to perform user-desired actions promote the development of independent exoskeleton systems. The modern concepts of artificial intelligence and machine learning enable the implementation of brain–computer interfacing (BCI) and hybrid BCIs in exoskeletons. Likewise, novel actuation techniques are necessary to overcome the significant challenges seen in conventional exoskeletons, such as the high-power requirements, poor back drivability, bulkiness and low energy efficiency. Implementation of suitable controller algorithms facilitates the instantaneous correction of actuation signals for all joints to obtain the desired motion. Furthermore, applying the traditional rehabilitation training methods is monotonous and exhausting for the user and the trainer. The incorporation of games, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies in exoskeletons has made rehabilitation training far more effective in recent times. The combination of electroencephalogram and electromyography-based hybrid BCI is desirable for signal sensing and controlling the exoskeletons based on user intentions. The challenges faced with actuation can be resolved by developing advanced power sources with minimal size and weight, easy portability, lower cost and good energy storage capacity. Implementation of novel smart materials enables a colossal scope for actuation in future exoskeleton developments. Improved versions of sliding mode control reported in the literature are suitable for robust control of nonlinear exoskeleton models. Optimizing the controller parameters with the help of evolutionary algorithms is also an effective method for exoskeleton control. The experiments using VR/AR and games for rehabilitation training yielded promising results as the performance of patients improved substantially.

Robotic exoskeleton-based rehabilitation will help to reduce the fatigue of physiotherapists. Repeated and intention-based exercise will improve the recovery of the affected part at a faster pace. Improved rehabilitation training methods like VR/AR-based technologies help in motivating the subject.

The paper describes the recent methods for signal sensing, actuation, control and rehabilitation training approaches used in developing exoskeletons. All these areas are key elements in an exoskeleton where the review papers are published very limitedly. Therefore, this paper will stand as a guide for the researchers working in this domain.

The purpose of this paper is to characterize distracted driving by quantifying the response time and response intensity to an emergency stop using the driver’s physiological states.

Field tests with 17 participants were conducted in the connected and automated vehicle test field. All participants were required to prioritize their primary driving tasks while a secondary nondriving task was asked to be executed. Demographic data, vehicle trajectory data and various physiological data were recorded through a biosignalsplux signal data acquisition toolkit, such as electrocardiograph for heart rate, electromyography for muscle strength, electrodermal activity for skin conductance and force-sensing resistor for braking pressure.

This study quantified the psychophysiological responses of the driver who returns to the primary driving task from the secondary nondriving task when an emergency occurs. The results provided a prototype analysis of the time required for making a decision in the context of advanced driver assistance systems or for rebuilding the situational awareness in future automated vehicles when a driver’s take-over maneuver is needed.

The hypothesis is that the secondary task will result in a higher mental workload and a prolonged reaction time. Therefore, the driver states in distracted driving are significantly different than in regular driving, the physiological signal improves measuring the brake response time and distraction levels and brake intensity can be expressed as functions of driver demographics. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study using psychophysiological measures to quantify a driver’s response to an emergency stop during distracted driving.

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel force sensing jig for robot-assisted drilling used to drill holes for the fastening of floating nut plates in aircraft assembly.

The paper describes the drill jig, which consists of a parallel gripper, peg-in-hole pins and a back-plate with a recess where a Polydimethylsiloxane cone is placed on top of a force sensor. As the jig approaches the part, the force sensor registers the applied force until it reaches steady state, which indicates full contact between the jig and the part. The peg-in-hole pins then lock into a pre-existing hole, which provides a mechanical reference, and the support plate provides back support during drilling.

Positional accuracy and the repeatability of the system were successfully placed within the specification for accuracy and repeatability (0.1 mm tolerance and 0.2 mm tolerance, respectively).

The drill jig can be integrated into existing robot drilling solutions and modified for specific applications. The integration of the force sensor provides data for engineers to monitor and analyze forces during drilling. The design of the force sensing drill jig is particularly suited to industrial prototype robot drilling end-effectors for small and medium manufacturers.

The key novelties of this drilling jig are in the compact assembly, modular design and inclusion of force sensing and back support features.

Advancements in robotics have led to significant improvements in robot‐assisted minimally invasive surgery. This paper describes our design of an automated laparoscopic grasper with tri‐directional force measurement capability at the grasping jaws. The laparoscopic tool can measure normal, lateral, and longitudinal grasping forces while grasping soft tissue. Additionally, the tool can also be used to measure the tissue probing forces. Initial testing of the prototype has shown its ability to accurately characterize artificial tissue samples of varying stiffness and accurately measure the probing forces.

Fall detection is a primary necessity for elderly people with medically tested nervous problems. This paper aims important to detect fall and prevent fatal injuries and untreated attention for long hours.

The project is focused on developing a smart shoe with force-sensitive resistors placed at plantar pressure points to detect fall. This could draw immediate medical attention to the patient. The device is developed using sensors, microcontroller and accelerometer integrated into a compact module. A rule-based detection algorithm helps in transmitting the alert to an Internet of Things device when a fall is detected.

Based on the pressure applied, there is a change in resistive value of force sensitivity resistor. When it reaches the threshold value, fall gets detected and alert gets triggered through telegram bot with latitude and longitude details of the location.

The challenge in developing this device is to make it wearable reducing the overall hardware complexity. The entire module placed inside the sole of the shoe avoids inconvenience to the patients.

The purpose of this paper is to experimentally analyze the effect of wing shape of various insects of different species in a flapping micro aerial vehicle (MAV).

Six different wings are fabricated for the MAV configuration, which is restricted to the size of 15 cm length and width; all wings have different surface area and constant span length of 6 cm. The force is being measured with the help of a force-sensing resistor (FSR), and the coefficients of lift were calculated and compared.

This study shows that the wing “Tipula sp” has better value of lift than other insect wings, except for the negative angle of attacks. The wing “Aeshna multicolor” gives the better values of lift in negative angles of attack.

This paper lays the foundation for the development of flapping MAVs with the insect wings. This type of wing can be used for spying purpose in the military zone and also can be used to survey remote and dangerous places where humans cannot enter.

This paper covers all basic insect wing configurations of different species with exact mimics of the veins. As the experimental investigation was carried for different angle of attacks, velocities and flapping frequencies, this paper can be used as reference for future flapping wing MAV developers.