Bioinspired Flexible Tactile Sensors for Smart Soft Robotics

This review delves into the cutting-edge advancements in the bioinspired flexible tactile sensors and their transformative role in enabling smart soft robots with embodied intelligence. Drawing inspiration from the multifunctionality of human skin, tactile sensors are desired to include similar mechanoreceptor, proprioception, and environmental responsiveness. This review begins by outlining fundamental design principles that mimic the hierarchical structure and distributed sensing networks of human skin. The biomimetic design and sensing principles of different flexible tactile sensors are then explained and compared, including pressure, temperature, and strain sensors. The state-of-the-art manufacturing methods, including direct ink writing, fused deposition modeling, digital light processing and material jet printing, are also introduced. By summarizing typical applications of these tactile sensors in smart soft robots, delicate object manipulation, human-robot collaboration, medical prosthetics, and adaptive locomotion are primarily discussed. Finally, it is promising to integrate innovations in fatigue-resistant elastomers, nanometer-scale 3-dimensional manufacturing, and artificial intelligence as potential elements to create next-generation of tactile sensors in the near future. By bridging biomimetic design, soft materials and robotics, this review aims to equip researchers and engineers with the knowledge to develop the tactile systems that push the boundaries of autonomy, safety, and interaction in soft robotics.