STTR Phase I: Novel Fluorescence-Based Force Sensor for High-Resolution Tactile Sensing

The broader impact/commercial impacts of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project are in the area of tactile sensing technology for robotics and biomedical instruments. The tactile sensors enable robots and machines to perceive and interpret physical touch and texture. As the robotics technology is increasingly required to perform complex and delicate operations which requires advanced tactile sensors, it is essential to ensure safe and precise interaction of robots or robotic tools with their environment. There are, however, gaps in the current tactile sensing technology. One is concerned with recognizing textures, and another is safely interacting with soft environment such as biological tissues. The sensor to be developed in this project will enable highly effective recognition of textured surfaces, which then would allow robots to recognize objects more efficiently. Also, it will lead to a safe and precise robotic tool for medical procedures. There exists a large and fast-growing market for tactile sensors which the new technology is expected to make inroads into. The initial market segment will be robotic surgery which will be followed by other robotics market such as humanoid robots. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is designed to develop a novel tactile sensing technology with applications in robotics and biomedical instruments. As the robotics technology matures, there is a growing need for an advanced tactile sensing technology to ensure safe and precise interaction of robots or robotic tools with their environment. The current technologies, however, lack several key capabilities which include high spatial resolution and high force sensitivity. These deficiencies in turn lead to grand challenges such as texture recognition and interaction with soft environments such as biological tissues. The new sensor to be developed in this project will achieve both high spatial resolution and high force sensitivity. It can be mounted on modules with small and adaptable form factors, making it applicable to a wide array of applications. The new ability to effectively recognize textures will enable highly complex and dexterous operations of robots and robotic tools including the emerging humanoid technologies. High sensitivity can be used to ensure safe and precise interaction with biological tissues, which would then enable improved medical procedures. The initial market segment will be robotic surgery which will be followed by other robotics market such as humanoid robots. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.