Conventional grippers fall behind their human counterparts as they do not have integrated sensing capabilities. Piezoresistive and capacitive sensors are popular choices because of their design and sensitivity, but they cannot measure pressure and slip simultaneously. It is imperative to measure slip and pressure concurrently. We demonstrate a dual slip-pressure sensor based on a thermal approach. The sensor comprises two concentric microfabricated heaters maintained at constant temperature. An elastic dome, with embedded liquid metal droplets, is placed on top of concentric heaters. Heat transfer between sensor and the object in contact occurs through the elastic dome. This heat transfer causes changes in the power absorbed by the sensor to maintain its temperature and allows for measurement of pressure while identifying slip events. Liquid metal droplets contribute to enhanced thermal conductivity (0.37 W/m-K) and reduced specific heat (0.86 kJ/kg-K) of the polymer without compromising on mechanical properties (Young's modulus—0.5 MPa). For pressure monitoring, sensor measures change in power ratio against increase in applied force, demonstrating a highly linear performance, with a high sensitivity of 0.0356 N⁻¹ (pressure only) and 0.0189 N⁻¹ (slip with simultaneous pressure applied). The sensor discriminates between different contact types with a 96% accuracy. Response time of the sensor (60–75 ms) matches the measured response time in human skin. The sensor does not get affected by mechanical vibrations paving way for easy integration with robotic manipulators and prosthetics.

中文翻译：

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一种用于机器人操作的具有柔性聚合物-液态金属纳米复合材料的微制造双滑动压力传感器

传统的抓手落后于他们的人类对手，因为它们没有集成的传感能力。压阻式和电容式传感器因其设计和灵敏度而成为流行的选择，但它们不能同时测量压力和滑动。必须同时测量滑差和压力。我们展示了基于热方法的双滑动压力传感器。该传感器包括两个保持恒温的同心微型加热器。嵌入液态金属液滴的弹性圆顶放置在同心加热器的顶部。传感器和接触物体之间的热传递通过弹性圆顶发生。这种热传递导致传感器吸收的功率发生变化，以保持其温度，并允许在识别滑动事件的同时测量压力。液态金属液滴有助于提高聚合物的热导率 (0.37 W/mK) 并降低聚合物的比热 (0.86 kJ/kg-K)，而不会影响机械性能（杨氏模量 - 0.5 MPa）。对于压力监测，传感器测量功率比随施加力的增加而变化，表现出高度线性的性能，具有 0.0356 N 的高灵敏度^-1（仅压力）和 0.0189 N ^-1（同时施加压力的滑动）。该传感器以 96% 的准确度区分不同的接触类型。传感器的响应时间 (60–75 ms) 与测量的人体皮肤响应时间相匹配。该传感器不受机械振动的影响，为与机器人操纵器和假肢轻松集成铺平了道路。