@article{Sun2026, 
author = {Linlin Sun and Zhengwen Chen and Zeshuo Wang and Yufeng Li and Zixu Chen and Mingyang Lu and Haidi Chu and Xianglong Liu and Linlong Jing and Xinpeng Cao and Yongxian Wang and Shenghui Fu and Shuangxi Liu and Shuo Kang and Jing Wang and Hongjian Zhang and Jinxing Wang and Wei Tang},
title = {An octopus-sucker inspired triboelectric self-decoupling three-axis force-sensing strategy},
year = {2026},
journal = {Nano Research},
keywords = {triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG), robotic soft gripper perception, three-axis tactile sensor,  non-destructive fruit picking, in-field quality grading},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2026.94909003},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2026.94909003},
abstract = {Approximately one-third of fresh fruits are lost in the supply chain, with half the losses occurring during in-field harvesting and in-plant grading. The complexity of supply chain, waste and economic losses could be reduced through integrated non-destructive harvesting and in-field quality grading. Here we developed a self-decoupled tactile sensor for robotic soft gripper, embedding three-axis self-decoupled triboelectric soft tactile sensors across fingers. During single harvesting operation, the strategy can measure the gripping force, fruit firmness, weight by tactile sensors. Hence, integrated non-destructive harvesting and in-field quality grading can be achieved. Tactile sensors are bioinspired by the deformation mechanics of octopus suckers under normal and tangential forces. It features dual-mode TENG, integrating vertical contact-separation and horizontal sliding modes. This structure can independently respond to normal and tangential forces. It will generate a superimposed triboelectric signal with three spatially decoupled components. Consequently, the three-axis force can be easily decoupled with three triboelectric signals independently, achieving high-precision measurement within the 0-20 N range. Finally, we demonstrate the practical efficacy of the sensing strategy through in-field experiments. During grasping, fruit firmness is evaluated from the normal force response over time. Upon fruit detachment, tactile sensors monitor both normal and tangential forces in real-time to prevent damage. Finally, with the gripper reoriented palm-down, the fruit weight is non-destructively calculated via static equilibrium between the tangential force and the fruit's gravity. We develop a robotic sensing system for integrated, non-destructive fruit harvesting and in-field grading, thereby streamlining the supply chain, reducing waste, and enhancing food safety.}
}