A team of researchers from Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzen, China, has developed an artificial sensory system that recognizes textures like twill, corduroy and wool.

Similar to a human finger, which can identify such fabrics, the newly developed flexible slip sensor mimics how a human fingerprint recognizes subtle features on surface textures as the sensor touches or slides across the fabric’s surface.

Source: Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzen

To test the sensor, the device was incorporated onto a prosthetic human hand and researchers added machine learning to the artificial sensory system. The team found that the flexible slip sensor could capture slight tactile signals and subsequently identify 20 different textiles such as linen, nylon, polyester and seersucker with roughly 100% accuracy.

The researchers suggest that the system could be used in the future on robots, for artificial limb prosthetics, virtual reality and consumer electronics, among other use cases.

An article detailing the findings, A robotic sensory system with high spatiotemporal resolution for texture recognition, appears in the journal Nature Communications.