i‐Tac: Inverse Design of 3D‐Printed Tactile Elastomers with Tuneable Optical and Mechanical Properties
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Elastomers play a crucial role in capturing tactile information for vision‐based tactile sensors (VBTSs), where they transduce contact stimuli into elastic deformation. Different sensor architectures demand distinct elastomer properties, such as optical transparency and mechanical hardness. Conventional forward design approaches, however, rely on iterative trial‐and‐error processes from material preparation to final performance, making them inefficient and difficult to scale. Here, we present i‐Tac, an inverse design pipeline for tailoring the optical and mechanical properties of elastomers used in VBTSs. Inspired by the composite structure of the human dermis, i‐Tac leverages multi‐material additive manufacturing with three distinct PolyJet 3D printing resins. A mixture design methodology is first employed to characterise printed elastomers, generating response surface models (ReSMs) that map material composition to functional properties. Based on user‐specified target requirements, a desirability function is then applied for multi‐objective optimisation, yielding an optimal operating window of compositions. This enables the fabrication of elastomers with desired properties in a single iteration through monolithic manufacturing. Experimental validation confirms the effectiveness of i‐Tac for elastomer customisation and demonstrates its potential for the complete fabrication of VBTSs with tailored performance.
Source: Advanced Intelligent Systems
Authors: Wen Fan, Dandan Zhang
Institution: Imperial College London
Language: English
Subfield: Automotive Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,970
OpenAlex ID: W7155629176