KIMM develops real-time multimodal tactile detection system applicable to robots and wearable devices

KIMM succeeds in developing real-time multimodal tactile detection system inspired by humans’ tactile perception.

2023-12-21

(Press-News.org) A tactile perception system capable of providing human-like multimodal tactile information to objects like robots and wearable devices that require tactile data in real time has been developed.

The research team led by Research Director Hyuneui Lim of the Nano-Convergence Manufacturing Systems Research Division and Principle Researcher Youngdo Jung of the Department of Nature-Inspired System and Application of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (Chairman Seog-hyeon Ryu, hereinafter referred to as the “KIMM”), an institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and ICT, developed a real-time and multimodal tactile perception system capable of providing multi-tactile information in real time inspired by human tactile perception, and announced the outcome of the research in the renowned journal “Soft Robotics.” (IF: 7.9)*
*Name of publication: Human-Inspired Tactile Perception System for Real-Time and Multimodal Detection of Tactile Stimuli (Date of publication: December 19, 2023)

The research team developed a real-time and multimodal tactile detection system, by mimicking the principle by which various types of tactile information is perceived by a variety of sensory receptors in the human skin and is transmitted to the brain in real time. This system consists of four three-dimensionally stacked tactile sensors, a signal processing/transmission module, and an analysis module. The system has successfully distinguished various types of tactile stimuli and surface textures and futhermore differenciated complex motion in real time.

Four types of tactile sensors, each of which detects temperature, vibration, shear force, and vertical pressure, are laminated in a three-dimensional structure based on three-dimensional (3D) flexible electrode printing process technology. At the same time, these sensors are connected to the FPCB (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) of the electronic module for signal processing and transmission, thereby easily transmitting signal-processed tactile information through the corresponding FPCB connection terminal.

In previous studies, complex external measuring devices and analysis equipment were needed in order to detect the signals generated from the corresponding device so that various forms of tactile stimuli could be detected. Therefore, it was difficult to apply these devices to wearable devices or robots in the form of a simple stand-alone system.

On the other hand, in the newly developed multimodal tactile perception system, multiple types of tactile sensors are arranged vertically in a three-dimensional structure. Additionally, a module capable of converting, transmitting, and analyzing the signals has also been developed, which allows for the system to be implemented in a compact and simple form and makes it applicable to actual robots and wearable devices.

Research Director Hyuneui Lim of the KIMM was quoted as saying, “By mimicking the sensory system of humans, the real-time multimodal tactile perception system is capable of perceiving multiple senses simultaneously. Moreover, it is a technology that has solved the problems that may be caused by complex and large signal processing and detection systems when using conventional sensors.” SHe added, “By applying this system to robots or wearable devices, we will be able to obtain a large volume of diverse and complex tactile signal information, which will hopefully contribute to the improvement of public welfare and security.”

Meanwhile, this research was supported by the Convergence Technology Development Program for Bionic Arm” through the National Research Foundation(NRF) of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science &ICT(2014M3C1B2048177), and the Basic Research Program of KIMM (No. NK242C), Republic of Korea.

###

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) is a non-profit government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since its foundation in 1976, KIMM is contributing to economic growth of the nation by performing R&D on key technologies in machinery and materials, conducting reliability test evaluation, and commercializing the developed products and technologies.

This research was supported by the Convergence Technology Development Program for Bionic Arm” through the National Research Foundation(NRF) of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science &ICT(2014M3C1B2048177), and the Basic Research Program of KIMM (No. NK242C), Republic of Korea.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

KIMM develops real-time multimodal tactile detection system applicable to robots and wearable devices 2

KIMM develops real-time multimodal tactile detection system applicable to robots and wearable devices 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New 1.5-billion-pixel ESO image shows Running Chicken Nebula in unprecedented detail

2023-12-21

While many holiday traditions involve feasts of turkey, soba noodles, latkes or Pan de Pascua, this year, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is bringing you a holiday chicken. The so-called Running Chicken Nebula, home to young stars in the making, is revealed in spectacular detail in this 1.5-billion-pixel image captured by the VLT Survey Telescope (VST), hosted at ESO’s Paranal site in Chile. This vast stellar nursery is located in the constellation Centaurus (the Centaur), at about 6500 light-years from Earth. Young stars within this nebula emit intense radiation that makes the surrounding hydrogen gas glow in shades ...

Light exercise could be the key to reversing childhood obesity linked to sedentariness

2023-12-21

Increased sedentary time as a child through adolescence is directly linked to childhood obesity, but new research has found light physical activity may completely reverse the adverse process. The study - conducted in collaboration with between University of Exeter, University of Eastern Finland, University of Bristol, and University of Colorado and published in Nature Communications – is the largest and longest follow-up to objectively measure physical activity and fat mass, using the University of Bristol’s Children of the 90s data (also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children). ...

Are diamonds GaN’s best friend? Revolutionizing transistor technology

2023-12-21

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University are proving that diamonds are so much more than just a girl’s best friend. Their groundbreaking research focuses on gallium nitride (GaN) transistors, which are high-power, high-frequency semiconductor devices used in mobile data and satellite communication systems. With the increasing miniaturization of semiconductor devices, problems arise such as increases in power density and heat generation that can affect the performance, reliability, and lifetime of these devices. Therefore, effective thermal management is crucial. Diamond, ...

New study examines the relationship between the rate of wound healing, the circadian rhythm, and ‘hair’ on cells

2023-12-21

Nearly every organism on Earth follows a natural circadian rhythm that is coded by your cell’s clock genes, which do exactly as you suspect from the name: regulate your body’s rhythm on a 24-hour basis. Most cells in mammalian bodies have cilia of some sort, which are hair-like structures that perform a variety of functions such as movement for motile cilia and aiding in structure in function for non-motile, or primary, cilia. The primary cilia also act as a sensory organ for the cell, a function which has illuminated ...

Great British Bake Off Christmas desserts not as naughty as you may think

2023-12-21

Christmas desserts from The Great British Bake Off are more likely to use ingredients that are associated with reductions, rather than increases, in the risk of death or disease, suggests research published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. As the holiday season approaches, the age-old debate resurfaces: can we indulge in Christmas desserts without feeling the pang of guilt? Can we look past the negative headlines of what butter and sugar do to our bodies, and enjoy a piece of Christmas cake in heavenly peace? To answer this Christmas conundrum, researchers set out to determine ...

Spike in morning after pill sales in the U.S. after New Year celebrations

2023-12-21

Sales of emergency contraception are estimated to rise by around 10% in the US in the week after the New Year holiday, suggesting that this period is associated with increased risks of unprotected sex compared with other holidays, finds a study published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. Other holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Independence Day were also associated with an increase in sales, but to a lesser extent. Although this annual spike in sales might seem humorous, the researchers point out that as many US states have increased restrictions on abortion ...

The evolutionary timeline of diminished boric acid and urea transportation in aquaporin 10

2023-12-21

Aquaporin (Aqp) 10 water channels in humans allow the free passage of water, glycerol, urea, and boric acid across cells. However, Aqp10.2b in pufferfishes allows only the passage of water and glycerol and not urea and boric acid. Researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology sought to understand the evolutionary timeline that resulted in the variable substrate selection mechanisms among Aqp10s. Their results indicate that Aqp10.2 in ray-finned fishes may have reduced or lost urea and boric acid permeabilities through evolution. Aquaporins ...

Wildflowers increasingly doing without insect pollinators

2023-12-21

Scientists at the CNRS and the University of Montpellier1 have discovered that flowering plants growing in farmland are increasingly doing without insect pollinators. As reproduction becomes more difficult for them in an environment depleted in pollinating insects, the plants are evolving towards self-fertilisation. These findings are published in a paper in the journal New Phytologist dated December 20, 2023. By comparing field pansies growing in the Paris region today with pansies from the same localities resurrected in the laboratory from seeds collected2 between 1992 and 2001, the research team found that today's flowers are 10% smaller, produce 20% less nectar, and are less ...

Blue PHOLEDs: Final color of efficient OLEDs finally viable in lighting

2023-12-21

Dec. 20, 2023 Contact: Derek Smith, 734-546-3632, smitdere@umich.edu; Nicole Casal Moore, 734-709-1651, ncmoore@umich.edu ANN ARBOR—Lights could soon use the full color suite of perfectly efficient organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, that last tens of thousands of hours, thanks to an innovation from physicists and engineers at the University of Michigan. The U-M team's new phosphorescent OLEDs, commonly referred to as PHOLEDs, can maintain 90% of the blue light intensity for 10-14 times longer than other designs that emit similar deep blue colors. That kind ...

Multitasking microbes: UW–Madison scientists engineer bacteria to make two valuable products from plant fiber

2023-12-20

We often look to the smallest lifeforms for help solving the biggest problems: Microbes help make foods and beverages, cure diseases, treat waste and even clean up pollution. Yeast and bacteria can also convert plant sugars into biofuels and chemicals traditionally derived from fossil fuels — a key component of most plans to slow climate change. Now University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have engineered bacteria that can produce two chemical products at the same time from underutilized plant fiber. And unlike humans, these ...

KIMM develops real-time multimodal tactile detection system applicable to robots and wearable devices

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: