Robotics has made significant strides in recent years, yet the ability for robots to touch and sense with the precision and sensitivity of human touch remains a complex challenge. In this episode, we delve into this challenge with Dr. Lepora, who is working at the forefront of developing biomimetic tactile sensors.

Dr. Lepora introduces us to the TacTip, a sensor that holds the potential to provide artificial analogs of tactile skin dynamics, afferent responses, and population encoding. This sensor, which is 3D-printed, is based on the physiology of the dermal-epidermal interface, complete with a mesh of biomimetic intermediate ridges and dermal papillae.

Dr. Lepora explains how they model slowly adapting SA-I activity and rapidly adapting RA-I activity using these sensors. We discuss how the biological plausibility of these artificial population codes was tested using three classic experiments for a natural touch, including response to normal pressure, response to bars, edges, and gratings, and discrimination of grating orientation.

Our conversation reveals how the TacTip shows a match between artificial and natural touch at single afferent, population, and perceptual levels, bringing the development of a biomimetic fingertip that demonstrates human sensitivity using the transduction principles of human touch closer to reality.

Join us in this fascinating discussion on the future of artificial tactile sensing with Dr. Lepora.

Keywords: Dr. Lepora, Tactile Sensor, Robotics, Artificial Touch, Biomimetic Sensor, TacTip, Tactile Skin Dynamics, Afferent Responses, Artificial Population Codes, 3D Printing, SA-I Activity, RA-I Activity, Grating Orientation.

https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif. A biomimetic fingertip that demonstrates human sensitivity using the transduction principles of human touch.