20.500.12556/RUL-170829 Influence of material optical properties in direct ToF LiDAR optical tactile sensing comprehensive evaluation Optical tactile sensing is gaining traction as a foundational technology in collaborative and human-interactive robotics, where reliable touch and pressure feedback are critical. Traditional systems based on total internal reflection (TIR) and frustrated TIR (FTIR) often require complex infrared setups and lack adaptability to curved or flexible surfaces. To overcome these limitations, we developed OptoSkin—a novel tactile platform leveraging direct time-of-flight (ToF) LiDAR principles for robust contact and pressure detection. In this extended study, we systematically evaluate how key optical properties of waveguide materials affect ToF signal behavior and sensing fidelity. We examine a diverse set of materials, characterized by varying light transmission (82–92)%, scattering coefficients (0.02–1.1) cm−1, diffuse reflectance (0.17–7.40)%, and refractive indices 1.398–1.537 at the ToF emitter wavelength of 940 nm. Through systematic evaluation, we demonstrate that controlled light scattering within the material significantly enhances ToF signal quality for both direct touch and near-proximity sensing. These findings underscore the critical role of material selection in designing efficient, low-cost, and geometry-independent optical tactile systems. optical tactile sensing time-of-flight (ToF) LiDAR frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) waveguide materials light scattering diffuse reflectance refractive index contact detection proximity sensing silicone resin 3D-printed polymer materials acrylic glass optično krmilno zaznavanje čas preleta (ToF) Lidar interni popolni odboj (FTIR material za optično vodilo sipanje svetlobe difuzna refleksija lomni količnik zaznavanje dotika silikon 3D natisnjeni polimerni materiali akrilno steklo true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2025-07-17 10:24:51 2025-07-17 10:24:58 2025-07-20 03:41:21 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 18 str. iss. 14, art. 3287 Vol. 18 Jul.-2 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 681.5 1996-1944 10.3390/ma18143287 242765571 materials-18-03287-v3.pdf materials-18-03287-v3.pdf 1 7425DD2CB227C9AD4E1D2460DAC18DD1 91c12bd3a132ca2a499c41fc0845afc0b2310b42e825a0e0178db330ae65997b b3be2fd3-62e5-11f0-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=213082 https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/18/14/3287 1 951c9720-62e5-11f0-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=213081 Fakulteta za elektrotehniko 0 0 0