IEEE ICMA 2025 Conference

Keynote Speech

Nano-Tactile Sensors for Visualization of Texture: Achieving Super-Human Performance via Deep Learning

Hidekuni Takao, Ph.D.

Professor and Director

Nano/Micro Structure Device Integrated Research Center

Kagawa University

https://researchmap.jp/read0057664?lang=en

Abstract:

In this talk, recent advances in state-of-the-art tactile sensing technology for precise visualization of tactile textures are introduced. Using MEMS technology, we developed "nano-tactile sensors" that emulate human fingertip functionality, achieving tactile data acquisition at resolutions below 10 µm, significantly surpassing human sensitivity. By applying deep learning to high-density tactile data, we created a tactile sensing platform exceeding human perception. The sensors effectively distinguish tactile characteristics of materials such as metals and fabrics, enabling quantitative evaluation of hair cuticle structures for damage assessment and detailed hardness mapping of skin and tissues at approximately 100 µm resolution. Such data are invaluable for clinical diagnostics and healthcare applications. Additionally, deep learning algorithms detect subtle differences imperceptible to human touch. For example, the system identified 14 tissue paper types with over 95% accuracy and estimated market values within a 25% error margin, exemplifying "super-human" tactile capabilities. This advanced technology holds great promise as an innovative tool for various robotics applications, including medical, precision manufacturing, and caregiving fields.

Hidekuni Takao was born in Kagawa, Japan, in 1970, and received his Ph.D. from Toyohashi University of Technology in 1998. He is currently the Director and professor of the Nano-Microstructure Device Integration Research Center at Kagawa University. His research focuses on ultra-high-performance tactile sensors and their applications to pioneering new fields. He has been serving as the Principal Investigator of two JST-CREST projects since 2015. His contributions have been acknowledged through several awards, including the Commendation for Science and Technology by the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2023), the CEATEC AWARD 2023 Grand-Prix (2023), and the 24th Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize (2024). In addition to his academic achievements, Prof. Takao actively serves the professional community as a Director of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ) and the Chair of the IEEJ Shikoku Branch, and so on.