A super-hydrophobic tactile sensor for damage-free fruit grasping

As a crucial component of smart agriculture, fruit-picking robots are widely applied in agricultural production. However, the rigid materials and imprecise force control of conventional robotic end-effectors often result in significant fruit damage during harvesting operations. To address this limitation, we developed a novel super- hydrophobic tactile sensor integrated with a real-time signal acquisition and control system based on Arduino microcontroller and Python programming. This integrated sensor-end effector system achieves damage-free fruit grasping capabilities through real-time monitoring and precise control of grasping forces during robotic operations. The developed sensor exhibits exceptional performance metrics, including a high sensitivity of 5.57 kPa⁻¹, a broad detection range (0.01–450 kPa), and remarkable durability exceeding 8000 operational cycles, with rapid response characteristics (103 ms response time and 73 ms recovery time). Furthermore, the sensor’s super-hydrophobic properties enable reliable operation across a wide humidity range (20–80 % RH) and even in underwater environments. This research provides valuable insights and technical guidance for developing damage-free agricultural robotic systems.