A bioinspired tactile scanner for computer haptics

Computer haptics integrates tactile sensation and rendering for the Metaverse but lacks a generic tactile data capturing device analogous to a camera in computer vision. Inspired by electrophysiological processes in human tactile somatosensory systems, the authors propose a tactile scanner and neuromorphically engineered system achieving closed-loop tactile acquisition and rendering. The scanner uses piezoelectric transducers as axon neurons and thin-film-transistor (TFT)-based neuromorphic circuits to mimic synaptic behaviors and neural functions, adopting mechano-gating and leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) models. Neuron-like tactile information of surface textures is captured and used to render virtual texture friction to recreate a realistic feeling of touch.