The robotic hand developed by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI). 

The finger's color changes depending on the pressure. Courtesy of ETRI

A robotic finger has been developed that can precisely sense pressure and adjust its grip strength based on an object's characteristics.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on the 26th that it has developed a tactile sensor that detects pressure with high precision regardless of direction and has applied it to a robotic hand.  

Pressure sensors used in conventional robotic fingers were limited by their tendency to produce distorted signals depending on the gripping direction. The research team advanced the robotic finger by combining a pneumatic tactile sensor capable of 360-degree omnidirectional pressure sensing, signal processing circuit technology, and an algorithm that identifies an object's rigidity in real time.

The robotic hand featuring the omnidirectional tactile sensor, developed by ETRI in collaboration with Wonik Robotics. Courtesy of ETRI

The research team designed the robotic finger to change its LED color in response to pressure changes, providing intuitive feedback to the user. They also explained that because the sensor is not directly exposed on the pressure-applying surface, it has a low failure rate even with continuous contact, allowing for long-term operation.  

Last year, the research team also developed a robotic gripper that could determine the size and freshness of tomatoes, achieving 98.7% accuracy in distinguishing between 11 different types.

"We expect this will enable robots to manipulate a variety of objects with greater precision and improve interaction with humans," the research team said. "We plan to expand our research to develop a 'supersensory' hand that goes beyond human capabilities, sensing not only pressure but also temperature, humidity, light, and ultrasound." 

By Byeongku Lee

https://www.dongascience.com/en/news/64485