Ozaki T, Ohta N, Fujiyoshi M
Toyota Central R&D Labs. Inc.; 41-1, Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan.
Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 30;16(1):1196. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56596-1.
We propose a network architecture for electronic skin with an extensive sensor array-crucial for enabling robots to perceive their environment and interact effectively with humans. Fault tolerance is essential for electronic skins on robot exteriors. Although self-healing electronic skins targeting minor damages are studied using material-based approaches, substantial damages such as severe cuts necessitate re-establishing communication pathways, traditionally performed with high-functionality microprocessor sensor nodes. However, this method is costly, increases latency, and boosts power usage, limiting scalability for large, nuanced sensation-mimicking sensor arrays. Our proposed system features sensor nodes consisting of only a few dozen logic circuits, enabling them to autonomously reconstruct reading pathways. These nodes can adapt to topological changes within the sensor network caused by disconnections and reconnections. Testing confirms rapid reading times of only a few microseconds and power consumption of 1.88 μW/node at a 1 kHz sampling rate. This advancement significantly boosts robots' collaborative potential with humans.
我们提出了一种用于电子皮肤的网络架构，该架构带有一个广泛的传感器阵列，这对于使机器人能够感知其环境并与人类有效互动至关重要。容错能力对于机器人外部的电子皮肤至关重要。尽管使用基于材料的方法研究了针对轻微损伤的自愈电子皮肤，但诸如严重切割之类的重大损伤需要重新建立通信路径，传统上这是通过高功能微处理器传感器节点来完成的。然而，这种方法成本高昂，会增加延迟并提高功耗，限制了大型、细微的模拟感觉传感器阵列的可扩展性。我们提出的系统的特点是传感器节点仅由几十个逻辑电路组成，使它们能够自主重建读取路径。这些节点可以适应由断开和重新连接引起的传感器网络内的拓扑变化。测试证实，在1kHz采样率下，读取时间仅为几微秒，每个节点的功耗为1.88μW。这一进展显著提升了机器人与人类协作的潜力。
