Robotics: Science and Systems XXII

A Super-Resolution and Multi-Axis Tactile Sensor with Soft Artificial Skin

Hongxu Wei, Zhou Lu, Peisen Xu, Yang Xu, Xuanyi Yang, Wei Zhao, Jiming Chen, Gaofeng Li

Abstract:

To achieve human-like skin tactile perception with super-resolution, the method of introducing a soft layer on sensing array has attracted increasing attention. Due to the limitations of sensing units principle, most existing tactile sensors can only sense normal force. However, multi-dimensional force information is important for robot manipulation. To address this, we propose a tactile sensing unit based on a tiny monolithic tri-cantilever structure that decouples three-dimensional force. A reconstruction algorithm combined both model-based and learning-based approaches is then proposed to detect the three-dimensional force applied to the sensing unit. These units are arranged in an array and covered with a soft silicone layer which induces traction-coupling effects. By leveraging deep learning, our tactile sensor can estimate the magnitude and position of external three-dimensional force with super-resolution. Experiments have shown that our tactile sensor achieves a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.19\,N for three-dimensional force estimation and 0.49\,mm for contact localization. Notably, this corresponds to a 26-fold improvement in spatial resolution, surpassing the state-of-the-art literature. Then the benefits and potential applications of our proposed sensors are validated in several tasks, including the teleoperative transfer of a test tube into a rack and stable robotic grasping under external interference. These demonstrate the practicality of our design and provide new solutions for tactile sensors.

Download:

Bibtex:

  
@INPROCEEDINGS{WeiH-RSS-26, 
    AUTHOR    = {Hongxu Wei AND Zhou Lu AND Peisen Xu AND Yang Xu AND Xuanyi Yang AND Wei Zhao AND Jiming Chen AND Gaofeng Li}, 
    TITLE     = {{A Super-Resolution and Multi-Axis Tactile Sensor with Soft Artificial Skin}}, 
    BOOKTITLE = {Proceedings of Robotics: Science and Systems}, 
    YEAR      = {2026}, 
    ADDRESS   = {Sydney, Australia}, 
    MONTH     = {July}, 
    DOI       = {10.15607/RSS.2026.XXII.199} 
}