A multi-dimensional tactile perception system based on triboelectric sensors: towards intelligent sorting without seeing

Tactile perception systems as the medium between the ambient environment and robotics lie in the heart of modern artificial intelligence. By providing different electronic readouts under various circumstances, they can give easily captured information for post-processing. However, for applications of most reported tactile perception systems, external location assistances are still needed. Here, as inspired by the platypus’ sixth sense, we developed a new kind of tactile perception system based on triboelectric sensors with the additional function from quantum rods. This terminal can be used as a single-electrode mode triboelectric nanogenerator for both location detection and vertical force sensing with high sensitivity and fast response. Moreover, by adding CdSe/CdS quantum rods into an imprinted polydimethylsiloxane film, different lateral stretching levels can be perceived by a modified luminescence. Supported by the machine learning technology, the as-fabricated tactile perception system finally obtains an excellent recognition accuracy among 18 different objects of 98.5% on a micro-controller unit platform, which provides an easy pathway in smart home robotics for intelligent sorting.