Towards Artificial Nerves: Biomimetic Optical-Fiber Tactile Sensing for Robots

2026-07-17

AI Summary

Current robotic tactile systems struggle to simultaneously achieve high spatial resolution, scalability, and safety. Inspired by human skin, this work proposes a bioinspired artificial neural architecture that couples a soft microneedle array one-to-one with optical fibers, converting tactile signals from each microstructure into image-like representations. An analytical algorithm enables interpretable recognition of contact location, size, and shape without relying on black-box deep learning models. By decoupling sensing from signal transmission for the first time, the design preserves high spatial resolution while supporting distributed deployment. This approach offers a scalable and transparent pathway toward human-like tactile perception in robotics.

Abstract

Robotic systems increasingly demand tactile sensing that approaches the adaptability and resolution of human skin to enable dexterous manipulation and safe interaction. OptiTac is a biomimetic tactile sensor that emulates the mechanoreceptor-to-nerve architecture of human touch by pairing each mechanical pin on a soft skin with an optical fiber acting as an artificial nerve. This design demonstrates an architectural principle for routing tactile information away from the sensing surface while preserving high spatial resolution, establishing a practical route toward distributed tactile sensing in future robotic systems. By treating tactile signals as images, simple analytical methods, rather than opaque deep-learning models, are used to infer contact location, size, and shape, providing interpretable and scalable tactile intelligence. This work demonstrates how evolutionary principles from biology can guide the development of artificial nerve systems for robots, offering a pathway toward human-like tactile perception in next-generation robotic platforms. More broadly, OptiTac establishes an artificial nerve-inspired sensing framework for interpretable robotic touch and a scalable route toward future distributed tactile systems.

Problem

• tactile sensing
• biomimetic
• robotic touch
• artificial nerves
• spatial resolution

Innovation

• biomimetic tactile sensing
• optical-fiber artificial nerves
• distributed tactile system
• interpretable tactile intelligence
• robotic touch