Soft finger integrated with Customized FSR

This project addresses several critical limitations of the TacFR gripper, particularly in force sensing accuracy, structural flexibility, and shear force detection. One of the main challenges lies in the FSR’s inaccuracies when mounted on a flexible base. Even though the Fin Ray fingers provide adaptive deformation, the PLA-reinforced base adds rigidity, which can introduce errors in force measurement. To mitigate this issue, we redesigned the sensing structure, ensuring more reliable force detection despite the stiffened base. Additionally, we custom-designed the FSR sensors, significantly improving their resolution and cost efficiency compared to off-the-shelf alternatives. This customization not only enhances the sensor’s performance in detecting subtle contact forces but also reduces the overall manufacturing cost, making it more feasible for large-scale applications. The gripper’s dexterity has also been greatly enhanced, not only due to the intrinsic flexibility of the materials used but also through an integrated cable-driven mechanism, enabling controlled bending and adaptive grasping. This allows for a wider range of motion and greater adaptability when handling objects of varying shapes and sizes. Despite the improvements in contact force sensing, shear force detection remains a major challenge. Standard FSRs primarily measure normal forces, but they struggle to accurately capture shear forces, which are critical for grasp stability and slip detection. To address this, we propose a dual-layer FSR solution, designed to significantly improve shear force measurement by incorporating an additional sensing layer that captures lateral force components. This advancement aims to enhance the gripper’s ability to detect and respond to complex interaction forces, ultimately improving manipulation precision, grasp stability, and safety in human-robot interactions.