Preparation of soft somatosensory-detecting materials via selective laser sintering

Abstract

With the development of virtual reality and soft actuators, flexible somatosensory systems are becoming an essential tool for researchers to collect external stimuli data and control the movement of robots. Herein, a novel, facile and low-cost selective laser-sintering strategy was reported to fabricate soft conducting films via sintering nylon and graphite mixed powder, which allows multiple somatosensitive capabilities toward the detection of touching, stretching, and bending. The soft materials present the combination of high sensitivity and good repeatability. We further construct an elastic robotic arm, which has a nylon-graphite sensor on the surface that simultaneously enables active haptic and proprioceptive sensing for different objects with various weight, shape, and roughness. Another highlight is the efficient and straightforward fabrication strategy with no solvent involved throughout the fabrication process, which is consistent with the requirements of green chemistry for the manufacture of functional materials.