Coaxial Graphene/MXene Microfibers with Interfacial Buffer-Based Lightweight Distance Sensors Assisting Lossless Grasping of Fragile and Deformable Objects

Lossless and efficient robotic grasping is becoming increasingly important with the widespread application of intelligent robotics in warehouse transportation, human healthcare, and domestic services. However, current sensors for feedback of grasping behavior are greatly restricted by high manufacturing cost, large volume and mass, complex circuit, and signal crosstalk. To solve these problems, here, we prepare lightweight distance sensor-based reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/ MXene-rGO coaxial microfibers with interface buffer to assist lossless grasping of a robotic manipulator. The as-fabricated distance microsensor exhibits a high sensitivity of 91.2 m-1 in the distance range of 50-300 mu m, a fast response time of 116 ms, a high resolution of 5 mu m, and good stability in 500 cycles. Furthermore, the highperformance and lightweight microsensor is installed on the robotic manipulator to reflect the grasp state by the displacement imposed on the sensor. By establishing the correlation between the microsensing signal and the grasp state, the safe, non-destructive, and effective grasp and release of the target can be achieved. The lightweight and highpowered distance sensor displays great application prospects in intelligent fetching, medical surgery, multi-spindle automatic machines, and cultural relics excavation.

Automated summary

Lossless and efficient robotic grasping is crucial in various fields, but current sensors for grasping behavior feedback face limitations. To solve this, lightweight distance sensor-based microfibers were developed to assist robotic grasping. The microsensor exhibited high sensitivity, fast response time, high resolution, and stability. By correlating the sensor's signal with the grasp state, safe and effective grasping and release can be achieved. The lightweight and high-powered distance sensor has potential applications in intelligent fetching, medical surgery, automatic machines, and cultural relics excavation.