3D-Printed Perceptive Robotic End-Effectors with Embedded Multimodal Sensors

Robust perception is crucial for autonomous and intelligent robots, and this can be achieved through a network of multimodal sensors embedded in the robotic body, like biological organs. Herein, we report a perceptive robotic end-effector, developed using multi-material additive manufacturing, for manipulation of delicate objects. The 3D-printed phalanges of the end-effector incorporate distributed resistive sensors to provide the multimodal touch and bend sensing capabilities. Each resistive sensor unit comprises a carbon black-Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)-based conductive composite, along with a specially designed sensor frame for embedding purposes to ensure robustness. These embedded sensors show sensitivity of ∼0.16% N -1 to compressive pressure and 0.06% per degree of bending angle for applied strain. Furthermore, they exhibit temperature sensitivity, registering approximately 1.6% change in response to a temperature shift from room temperature (25°C) to 45°C (hot perception), and approximately 1.3% for a change from 25°C to 5°C (cold perception). Finally, the 3D printed end-effector is used to grasp daily objects such as a soft ball and a paper cup to demonstrate its practical applicability towards the development of artificial limbs and human-friendly soft robots.