A flexible tension-pressure tactile sensitive sensor array for the robot skin

In this paper, a flexible tension-pressure tactile sensitive sensor array is proposed for intelligent robot skin to detect external pressure in the case of tensile and bendability condition. Such flexible sensitive tension-pressure tactile sensor is fabricated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon black (CB) as conductive filler and silicone rubber as insulating matrix. Studying the extension-pressure resistance characteristic upon CNTs and CB as conductive filler to silicon rubber sensitive unit, the following conclusions are drawn: the CNTs-CB forms a solid conductive network structure “botryoid” in the system of conductive rubber filled with CNTs and CB, and the resistance of conductive rubber filled with CNTs and CB is quite sensitive with good linearity in the case where in tension and pressure process with filler mass fraction as 4% and the mass ratio of CNTs and CB as 2:3. In such kind of tension-pressure tactile sensor array based on conductive rubber filled by CNTs and CB, elastic electrodes overcome the disadvantage of the non-tension traditional sensor, therefore achieving the flexibility of sensor array. Such sensor array can detect pressure and tension in syncronization, and can be applied to robot flexible skin joints.