Robots with soft touch could benefit processing

The TakkTile takes a tiny barometer, which senses air pressure, then adds a layer of vacuum-sealed rubber to it, protecting it from as much as 25 pounds of direct pressure. The researchers claim the chips are durable enough to withstand a direct blow from a hammer or bat. At the same time, the device reportedly can detect even very slight touch.

The team behind TakkTile said the use of barometric technology helps avoid the previous problem with soft-touch robotics being expensive and fragile. Further, the team stated that traditional soft-touch robotic technology uses specialized construction techniques, which are more challenging to fabricate than TakkTile.

Potential uses​

In an interview with FoodProductionDaily.com, TakkTile co-creator Yaroslav Tenzer, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow with the school’s BioRobotics Laboratory, said the technology could give food processing professionals an effective, affordable way to introduce robotics into a variety of situations.

“With respect to food processing industry, the TakkTile technology can be used to identify light touch, or forces when the items are being manipulated,” he said. “Therefore the most obvious application is force sensors for grippers; these can be found in slicing, pick-and-place, flow packaging, case packaging, etc.”

Tenzer said the team is looking to take on financial backers and partners, and they are selling the individual sensors for companies looking to add to their existing systems.