September 20, 2019 | Lighting | Materials | Mechanical & Fluid Systems | Photonics/Optics | Robotics, Automation & Control | Sensors/Data Acquisition | Manufacturing & Prototyping

Optical Lace Gives Robots a Soft Touch

Image of Stretchable Optical Fibers. — A flexible, porous lattice structure is threaded with stretchable optical fibers containing more than a dozen mechanosensors and attached to an LED light. When the lattice structure is pressed, the sensors pinpoint changes in the photon flow.

A synthetic optical lace developed by a Cornell Ph.D. student creates a linked sensory network similar to a biological nervous system. The flexible, porous lattice structure is manufactured from 3D-printed polyurethane with a core that is threaded with stretchable optical fibers containing more than a dozen mechanosensors. An LED light illuminates the fiber.

The optical lace is not a skin coating for robots; it is more like the flesh itself. Robots fitted with the material would be better suited for the healthcare industry, specifically beginning-of-life and end-of-life care.