Macro–scale surface topology offers a structural route to enhance tactile sensing performance beyond material optimization. Here, a graphene–dip–coated mesh fabric was embedded in an Ecoflex \(^{\text {TM}}\) elastomer and programmed into flat and wavy geometries with two corrugation frequencies (Wavy f0.1 and Wavy f0.2). Finite–element simulations revealed that the wavy topography converts nominal compression into localized tensile hot–spots at the wave shoulders, providing early strain amplification consistent with the stretching–induced resistance augmentation mechanism. Experimentally, Wavy f0.2 reduced the detectable pressure threshold to 0.19 kPa and delivered the highest low-pressure gain, with a sensitivity of \(6.84\times 10^{-2}\ \textrm{kPa}^{-1}\) (0.19–9.5 kPa), which is about 20.7 times and 8.7 times higher than that of the flat ( \(3.3\times 10^{-3}\ \textrm{kPa}^{-1}\) , 1.9–47.5 kPa) and Wavyf0.1 ( \(7.9\times 10^{-3}\ \textrm{kPa}^{-1}\) , 1.9–19 kPa) sensors, respectively. It also demonstrated rapid dynamics (30 ms response, 50 ms recovery), stable cyclic operation (8% peak–to–peak variation over 3000 cycles at 9.5 kPa), and clear suppression of shoulder peak artefacts. A trade off arises between sensitivity and usable range: Wavy f0.2 saturates near 19.0 kPa (working span 0.19–19.0 kPa), whereas Wavy f0.1 retains a broader 1.9–57.0 kPa range. Finally, integration of Wavy f0.2 with a robotic gripper enabled closed–loop gentle grasping of fragile fruits (raspberries, blueberries, grapes) at 2–6 kPa, validating high pressure resolution for damage–free manipulation. These results establish corrugation frequency as a tunable design parameter for balancing sensitivity and range in macro–structured textile tactile sensors.
