Tactile edge detection

The mechanics of the skin and subcutaneous tissues are as central to the sense of touch as the optics of the eye is to vision and the acoustics of the ear is to hearing. Recent published theories of the functional morphology of glabrous skin micro structures and their associated nerve endings are developed in this paper to form a new concept, that of direct tactile edge encoding by the skin. Through exploiting key mechanical properties and structures of human glabrous skin, it has been possible to create a prototype edge-encoding tactile sensor with an artificial skin capable of high levels of compliance, conformability and strength. The sensor has proved to have an impressive level of sensitivity, accuracy and detail within a skin design that promises to be a capable and practical end-effector. This paper presents and discusses the edge-encoding function of the sensor design and presents results that illustrate the capabilities of the sensor concept and the importance of edge sensitivity in tactile sensing.