Contact sensor using conductive fluid and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a contact sensor that does not cause disconnection or the like.SOLUTION: A contact sensor (10) includes an elastic tube (12) and metallic pipes (16) as an electrode connected to both ends of the elastic tube, and the metallic pipes further connect another elastic tube (18). A conductive fluid (14) such as an ionic liquid is injected from one different elastic tube. By that, the conductive fluid (14) is filled in the elastic tube (12) the metallic pipes (16) and the other elastic tube (18) to form a conductive channel. An LCR meter is connected between the metallic pipes at both ends, and contact pressure being one of contact information is measured on the basis of resistance value change of the conductive channel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact sensor using a conductive fluid and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a contact sensor using a conductive fluid and a method for manufacturing the same that measures contact information based on a change in impedance caused by a change in cross-sectional area of a channel filled with a conductive fluid such as an ionic liquid, for example. [[Background Art]]

[0002] An example of this type of background art is disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1. This Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a tactile sensor in which a pressure-sensitive channel filled with an ion gel is embedded in an elastic material. In this contact sensor, deformation of the channel, that is, contact information applied to the sensor, can be measured from a resistance value at both ends of the channel. [[Prior Art Literature]] [[Non-Patent Literature]]

[0003] [[Non-Patent Document 1]] Y. Hara, K. Yoshida, A. Khosla, M. Kawakami, K. Hosoda, H. Furukawa “Very Wide Sensing Range and Hysteresis Behaviors of Tactile Sensor Developed by Embedding Soft Ionic Gels in Soft Silicone Elastomers,” ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technology, vol.9, no.6, pp.061024, 2020. [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] In the background technology described in Non-Patent Document 1, an electrical wire is directly connected to an ion gel as an electrode. However, with this structure, it is anticipated that applying strong tension will cause the electrode to detach from the ion gel and the wire to break.

[0005] Therefore, the main objective of this invention is to provide a novel contact sensor using a conductive fluid and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0006] Another object of this invention is to provide a contact sensor using a conductive fluid and a method for manufacturing the same, which does not cause problems such as electrode peeling from the conductive fluid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention employs the following configuration for the above-mentioned purpose. The reference numerals and supplementary explanations in parentheses indicate correspondences with embodiments described to aid in understanding this invention and do not limit this invention in any way.

[0008] The first embodiment comprises an elastic tube formed of an elastically deformable material, two metal pipes connected to both ends of the elastic tube, and a conductive fluid filled inside the elastic tube and the two metal pipes. It comprises two conductive channels, each containing a certain component, and a body made of an elastically deformable material, which embeds the elastic tube portions of the two conductive channels, and the elastic tubes of the two conductive channels are embedded in the body such that they are parallel to each other in a plan view and intersect each other in a side view. This is a contact sensor that uses a conductive fluid.

[0009] In the first embodiment, a contact sensor using a conductive fluid (10: reference number illustrating a corresponding part in the embodiment; however, it is not limited; the same applies hereinafter) includes an elastic tube (12) made of an elastically deformable material such as silicone rubber, and metal pipes (16) such as copper pipes that function as electrodes connected to both ends of the elastic tube (12). The connection between the elastic tube and the metal pipe is made by connecting the elastic tube to the metal pipe but The elastic tube may be inserted, or it may be placed over the metal pipe. Elastic tube (12) and metal pipe (16) Inside By filling it with a conductive fluid (14) such as an ionic liquid, Each Conductive channel (D1, D2) forming The elastic tube portions (12) of the two conductive channels (D1, D2) are then embedded in the main body (24) made of an elastically deformable material. At this time, the elastic tubes of the two conductive channels are embedded in the main body such that they are parallel to each other in a plan view and intersect each other in a side view.

[0010] According to the first embodiment, since the metal pipe used as an electrode is connected to the elastic tube, the problem of the electrode separating from the conductive fluid and causing a break in the wire can be avoided. Furthermore, since the two conductive channels are parallel to each other and each is aligned diagonally in the depth direction, when the main body is pressed, the contact position, which is one of the contact pieces of information, can be determined from the rate of change of resistance, and based on this estimated contact position, the contact pressure, which is another piece of contact information, can be analytically determined.

[0011] The second embodiment is, A conductive channel comprising an elastic tube formed of an elastically deformable material, two metal pipes connected to both ends of the elastic tube, and a conductive fluid filled within the elastic tube and the two metal pipes, and two bodies, each formed of an elastically deformable material and laminated, with the folded portion of the elastic tube, which forms the conductive channel and is continuous, embedded in each of the two bodies. This is a contact sensor that uses a conductive fluid.

[0012] In the second embodiment, A contact sensor using a conductive fluid (10: reference number illustrating the corresponding part in the embodiment; however, it is not limited; the same applies hereinafter) forms a conductive channel forming member by connecting an elastic tube (12) made of an elastically deformable material such as silicone rubber and metal pipes (16) such as copper pipes that function as electrodes to both ends of the elastic tube (12). A conductive channel is formed by filling the elastic tube (12) and the metal pipes (16) with a conductive fluid (14) such as an ionic liquid. Furthermore, it comprises two stacked bodies (24, 24), each made of an elastically deformable material, and the folded portion of the elastic tube that forms the conductive channel and is continuous is embedded in each of the two stacked bodies. .

[0013] According to the second embodiment, Similar to the first embodiment, the problem of electrodes separating from the conductive fluid and causing disconnection can be avoided. Furthermore, if, for example, a resistive conductive channel with a large change in resistance and a capacitive conductive channel with a large change in capacitance are connected in parallel, they can be treated as a single RC parallel circuit. Therefore, by connecting an LCR meter to a metal pipe acting as a pair of electrodes, changes in resistance and capacitance can be detected simultaneously.

[0017] Third The embodiment includes an elastic tube, and the ends of the elastic tube are connected two Prepare a conductive channel forming member including a metal pipe and another elastic tube connected to each of the metal pipes, inject a conductive fluid into the conductive channel forming member from the other elastic tube, and then the other elastic tube Each of the open ends This is a method for manufacturing a contact sensor using a conductive fluid, which is sealed with a lid. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to this invention, a conductive fluid is filled into an elastic tube, and a metal pipe serving as an electrode is connected to the elastic tube, thus eliminating problems such as electrode detachment from the conductive fluid.

[0019] The above-mentioned objectives, other objectives, features, and advantages of this invention will become even clearer from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an illustrative diagram showing a contact sensor according to one embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a contact sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an illustrative view showing a process of manufacturing the contact sensor of the embodiment of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing a subsequent process of manufacturing the contact sensor of the embodiment of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing a subsequent process of manufacturing the contact sensor of the embodiment of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an illustrative view showing a subsequent process of manufacturing the contact sensor of the embodiment of FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an illustrative view showing a subsequent process of manufacturing the contact sensor of the embodiment of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an illustrative view showing another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an illustrative view showing a method of measuring contact information according to the embodiment of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an illustrative view showing still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an illustrative view showing an expanded state of the embodiment of FIG. 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, a contact sensor 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an elastic tube 12 made of silicone rubber, which is an example of an elastically deformable material, and the elastic tube 12 is filled with a conductive fluid 14 that is a conductive fluid such as an ionic liquid. One end of a metal pipe 16 made of a conductive metal such as copper functioning as an electrode is inserted into both ends of the elastic tube 12. The other end of each metal pipe 16 is also inserted into one end of a separate elastic tube 18, respectively. The open end of the separate elastic tube 18 is sealed by a lid 20 made of plastic such as polylactic acid, for example.

[0022] In Figure 1, the bubbles 22 visible outside the metal pipe 16 (electrode) are generated during the manufacturing process, which will be explained later. However, since these bubbles 22 are located outside the metal pipe 16, meaning they are not present inside the metal pipe 16, they do not cause disconnection between the metal pipe 16 and the conductive fluid 14, nor do they affect the measurement results of the contact information.

[0023] In the contact sensor 10 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a metal pipe 16 as an electrode is connected to an elastic tube 12, and then an elastic tube 18 is connected before injecting a conductive fluid such as an ionic liquid. Compared to the background technology, a conductive channel can be formed more easily. Furthermore, since the metal pipe 16 as an electrode is firmly connected to the elastic tube 12, the problem of the electrode (metal pipe 16) separating from the ionic liquid (conductive fluid 14) and causing a disconnection can be avoided compared to the background technology.

[0024] If necessary, adhesive tape or glue may be wrapped around the portion of the elastic tubes 12 and 18 into which the metal pipe 16 is inserted, or adhesive may be applied to securely hold the metal pipe 16 in place. This will further ensure that the metal pipe 16, which serves as an electrode, does not detach.

[0025] In this embodiment, an ionic liquid such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (manufactured by Kanto Chemical Co., Ltd.) is used as the conductive fluid, but the conductive fluid is not limited to such ionic liquids. Specifically, liquid metals (Ga-In; gallium indium alloy, Ga-In-Sn; gallium indium tin alloy), etc., can be used.

[0026] As an example of the size of the contact sensor 10, the outer diameter of the elastic tube 12 is 2 mm, the inner diameter is 1 mm, and the distance between the metal pipes 16 is 100 mm. However, please note that in each drawing, including Figure 1, the parts have been exaggerated (enlarged or reduced) for illustrative purposes.

[0027] In such a contact sensor 10, an elastic tube 12 filled with conductive fluid 14 and a metal pipe 16 constitute a part of the conductive channel. In this conductive channel, the resistance R [Ω] between the electrodes (metal pipe 16) is given by ρ [Ω·m], where ρ is the resistivity of the conductive fluid 14, L is the distance between electrodes (length of the conductive fluid), and A is the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductive fluid. 2 When ] is given, it is shown by equation 1.

[0028] [Mathematics 1] R = ρ(L / A)

[0029] In the experiment, an LCR meter (impedance analyzer: not shown) was connected between both metal pipes 16 (electrodes) to form an electrical circuit. A 5 mm diameter cylinder was then pressed into the center of the distance between the electrodes at a pressing speed of 0.1 mm / second and a pressing depth of 1.0 mm (half the outer diameter of the elastic tube 12). At this time, it was confirmed that the resistance value of 186 kΩ under no load rapidly increased to 200 kΩ.

[0030] Therefore, based on this change in resistance, it is possible to calculate the pressing pressure (contact pressure) applied to the contact sensor 10, which is one of the contact pieces of information.

[0031] However, in a single linear conductive channel as in the example, no significant changes were observed in the capacitance value (C) or inductance value (L) even when pressure was applied as described above.

[0032] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the metal pipes 16, which serve as electrodes, were inserted into both ends of the elastic tube 12. However, as shown in Figure 2, the metal pipes 16 may be placed over both ends of the elastic tube 12.

[0033] The contact sensor 10 in the embodiment shown in Figure 2 is otherwise the same as the contact sensor 10 in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, so redundant explanations will be omitted. However, in this embodiment as well, if necessary, adhesive tape may be wrapped around the portion of the elastic tubes 12 and 18 that covers the metal pipe 16, or adhesive may be applied to securely hold the metal pipe 16.

[0034] In both the first and second embodiments shown in Figure 1, the manufacturing procedure involves first preparing an elastic tube 12 made of silicone rubber, connecting metal pipes 16 made of copper to both ends of the elastic tube 12, and then connecting another elastic tube 18 to the metal pipes 16. This assembled structure is called a conductive channel forming member, and a conductive fluid, such as an ionic liquid, is injected into the conductive channel forming member from one of the other elastic tubes 18, for example, using a syringe (not shown). Finally, the open ends of the other elastic tubes 18 are sealed with caps 20 at both ends to complete the assembly.

[0035] When the lid 20 is attached, outside air enters the conductive fluid 14 as bubbles 22, but as explained earlier, these bubbles 22 only exist on the outside of the metal pipe (electrode) 16, so they do not cause any particular problems.

[0036] In both embodiments shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the elastic tube 12 remains exposed, and depending on the magnitude of the applied contact pressure and the shape of the tip of the pressurizing body, it may break.

[0037] Therefore, in the contact sensor 10 of the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the outer circumference of the elastic tube 12 is covered with a body 24 made of an elastically deformable material such as silicone rubber, thereby protecting the elastic tube 12, or conductive channel. This body 24 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and for example, its upper surface becomes the contact surface.

[0038] In this embodiment as well, when pressure is applied to the main body 24, that pressure is transmitted to the elastic tube 12, so the elastic tube 12 is pushed by that pressure, and contact information can be measured based on the resulting change in the impedance of the conductive channel.

[0039] The inventors manufactured the contact sensor 10 shown in Figure 3 according to the procedure described below.

[0040] First, to manufacture the main body 24, a plastic mold 26 was created using, for example, a 3D printer, as shown in Figure 4. A rod 28, having the same shape as the elastic tube 12 that forms the conductive channel, was made from a water-soluble PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) filament and fixed to the mold 26. PVA is highly hydrophilic and dissolves in hot water. Next, uncured silicone rubber (Eco-Flex00-30, Smooth-On, USA) was injected into the mold 26 as shown in Figure 4, and then degassed using a vacuum dryer (AVO-310NB, ETTAS, ASONE, Japan).

[0041] The hardened silicone rubber, which will become the main body 24, was removed from the mold 26, and hot water was continuously poured through the PVA rod 28 to dissolve it and form a cavity 30 that will become a channel (Figure 5).

[0042] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 6, a silicone rubber tube (elastic tube 12) with an outer diameter of 2 mm and an inner diameter of 1 mm was inserted into the cavity 30 and bonded to the silicone rubber (main body 24). Copper pipes (metal pipes 16) were connected to both ends of the silicone rubber tube as electrodes, and another silicone tube, serving as an elastic tube 18, was inserted into the other end of the metal pipe 16.

[0043] Then, the uncured ionic liquid is injected using syringe 32, and as shown in Figure 7, caps 20 are inserted into both ends of another elastic tube 18 to seal the ionic liquid.

[0044] Then, as shown in Figure 7, the ionic liquid inside the elastic tube 12 and the metal pipe 16 is cured (gelled) by ultraviolet irradiation 34.

[0045] However, it is not necessary to harden the ionic liquid.

[0046] Figure 8 shows a specific application example of such a contact sensor 10. In this embodiment, two conductive channels D1 and D2 are embedded in the main body 24, which is made of an elastically deformable material such as silicone rubber. Here, for convenience, the term "conductive channel" should be understood to include at least the elastic tubes 12 described earlier and the conductive fluid 14 filled therein. In Figure 8, as in Figure 9, the metal pipe 16 is not shown.

[0047] In the contact sensor 10 of this embodiment, the two conductive channels D1 and D2 within the main body 24 are set to be parallel when viewed from the top surface (first surface) of the main body 24, which is the contact surface, as shown in Figure 8(B), and intersect when viewed from the side surface (second surface) of the main body 24 perpendicular to the contact surface (first surface), as shown in Figure 8(C). However, the position where the two conductive channels D1 and D2 intersect is, in principle, the center in the longitudinal direction of the main body 24.

[0048] In the contact sensor 10 shown in Figure 8, LCR meters (LCR-6200, manufactured by Texio Technology, Japan) M1 and M2 are connected between the respective electrodes (metal pipes 16) of each conductive channel D1 and D2, as shown in Figure 9.

[0049] The resistance change ΔR of the ionic liquid (conductive fluid 14) forming conductive channels D1 and D2 is given by equation 2. To simplify the initial complex form of the equation, it is written separately in terms of χ, c1, c2, c3 and c4.

[0050]

number

[0051] Assuming that the shapes of the contacting objects, i.e., L and a, are constants, from Equation 2, the resistance change ΔR is a function of the contact pressure and depth applied to the conductive fluid 14.

[0052] In the contact sensor 10 shown in Figure 8, the two conductive channels D1 and D2 are parallel and each is aligned diagonally in the depth direction. Here, the depths z1 and z2 of each conductive channel D1 and D2 are given by Equation 3, where x is the contact position.

[0053] [Math 3] z1 = kx + C z² = -kx + C Here, k and C determine the gradient and blockage of the conductive channel.

[0054] Thus, equation 2 can be considered as a mathematical formula for contact position and contact pressure, which can be obtained from the resistance changes of the two conductive channels D1 and D2. However, obtaining an analytical solution is difficult, and obtaining a numerical solution is computationally expensive.

[0055] Therefore, in order to easily obtain a solution, the inventors arranged the two conductive channels D1 and D2 diagonally, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 8, and estimated the contact position simply by calculating the ratio of the resistance change.

[0056] For example, as illustrated in Figure 9, in the right half of the main body 24 of the contact sensor 10, conductive channel D1 is closer to the sensor surface (top surface of the main body 24) than conductive channel D2. Therefore, when the right side of the main body 24 is pressed, the change in resistance is greater for conductive channel D1 than for conductive channel D2. On the other hand, when the left side of the main body 24 of the contact sensor 10 is pressed, the change in resistance is greater for conductive channel D2 than for conductive channel D1. Thus, the ratio of the resistance change of conductive channel D1 divided by the resistance change of conductive channel D2 increases monotonically from the left side to the right side of the main body 24 of the contact sensor 10, and the contact position can be obtained simply by calculating this ratio.

[0057] From the above, according to the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the contact position, which is one of the contact information, can be determined from the resistance change rate, and by substituting the estimated contact position into Equation 2, the contact pressure, which is another of the contact information, can be analytically determined.

[0058] Figure 10 shows another specific application example of the contact sensor 10. In this embodiment, two bodies 24U and 24L, each made of an elastically deformable material such as silicone rubber, are stacked, and conductive channels D3 and D4, formed by the folded portion of a continuous elastic tube 12, are embedded in the bodies 24U and 24L, respectively. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the upper body 24U functions as the contact surface. The term "conductive channel" should be understood to include at least the elastic tube 12 and the conductive fluid 14 filled therein, as in each embodiment.

[0059] The contact sensor 10 in Figure 10 is formed by creating conductive channels D3 and D4 continuously using an elastic tube 12 that spans two main bodies 24U and 24L, as shown in the unfolded view in Figure 11, and then stacking the two main bodies 24U and 24L. Note that in Figure 11, the electrodes (metal pipes 16) that form part of the conductive channels are not shown.

[0060] A conductive channel D3 is embedded in the upper body 24U, which is closer to the contact surface. The conductive channel D3 is formed in a spiral pattern so as to measure the contact pressure, which is one of the contact information, by the change in resistance value. A conductive channel D4 is embedded in the lower body 24L, which is further away from the contact surface. The conductive channel D4 is formed in a comb-like pattern with two comb teeth, where one comb tooth fits between the teeth of the other, so as to measure the tension in the two directions (vertical and horizontal, within the contact surface), which is one of the contact information, by the change in capacitance value.

[0061] As described above, the elastic tube 12 is continuous in the upper body 24U and the lower body 24L, and a metal pipe 16 and another elastic tube 18 are sequentially connected to both ends of this elastic tube 12, and a conductive fluid 14 such as an ionic liquid is injected, for example, with a syringe 32 (Figure 6). Since the conductive channels D3 and D4 are composed of a single continuous elastic tube 12, the conductive fluid 14 can be filled into the conductive channels D3 and D4 in a single injection.

[0062] In the contact sensor 10 of the embodiment shown in Figure 10, a metal pipe 16 as an electrode is connected to the elastic tube 12, and then an elastic tube 18 is connected before injecting a conductive fluid such as an ionic liquid. This makes it easier to form a conductive channel compared to the background technology. Furthermore, since the metal pipe 16 as an electrode is firmly connected to the elastic tube 12, the problem of the electrode (metal pipe 16) separating from the ionic liquid (conductive fluid 14) and causing a disconnection can be avoided compared to the background technology.

[0063] In the embodiment shown in Figure 10, a resistive conductive channel D3, whose resistance value changes significantly, and a capacitive conductive channel D4, whose capacitance value changes significantly, are connected in parallel. By connecting the resistive conductive channel D3 and the capacitive conductive channel D4 in parallel, they can be considered as a single RC parallel circuit. Therefore, by connecting an LCR meter to the metal pipe 16, which acts as a pair of electrodes, changes in resistance and capacitance can be detected simultaneously.

[0064] Furthermore, a three-dimensional channel was created by overlapping two layers with embedded channels and electrically connecting them. This structure allows two types of conductive channels to be incorporated into a single contact sensor.

[0065] The resistance value R in the resistive conductive channel D3 is as explained in equation 1 above.

[0066] Furthermore, the conductive channel containing the conductive fluid 14 can be considered an electrode, and the capacitance value C[F] can be detected in the capacitor-type conductive channel D4.

[0067] Let d[m] be the distance between the electrodes of the two comb-shaped patterns in conductive channel D4, and let S[m] be the area of ​​the electrodes. 2 If we assume that the dielectric constant of the main body 24L, which acts as a dielectric, is ε[F / m], then it is given by equation 4.

[0068] [Math 4] C = ε(S / d)

[0069] The deformation of the contact sensor 10 due to contact changes the distance d between electrodes and the electrode area S, which in turn changes the capacitance value C. The deformation of the contact sensor 10 can then be detected from the amount of this change.

[0070] The main body 24U, which constitutes the spiral conductive channel D3 layer, and the main body 24L, which constitutes the comb-shaped capacitor-type conductive channel D4 layer, are folded, and the resistive conductive channel D3 is placed in the layer closer to the surface (contact surface), while the capacitor-type conductive channel D4 is placed in the layer further from the surface. In the resistive conductive channel D3, the resistance value increases in response to pressure and tension due to contact. On the other hand, the capacitor-type conductive channel D4 has low sensitivity to pressure due to contact, and its sensitivity is even lower because it is placed in a layer further from the surface. In response to tension, it increases or decreases depending on the direction. Therefore, by comparing the response of the rate of change of the resistance value and capacitance value, it is expected that contact information can be identified and measured.

[0071] To investigate the response characteristics of the contact sensor 10 shown in Figure 10 to pressure and tension, the inventors conducted push and pull experiments using a tabletop robot (TTA-C3-WA-30-25-10B-NP-EE-2-1, manufactured by IAI, Japan).

[0072] Vertical pressure and tension in the up, down, left, and right directions were applied to the contact sensor 10, and resistance and capacitance values ​​were obtained using an LCR meter. The rate of change of values ​​from the initial state was calculated to evaluate the response characteristics. When contact pressure was applied, the rate of change of resistance tended to increase, and the sensitivity increased sharply as the pressure increased. The rate of change of capacitance also tended to increase, and the sensitivity also increased.

[0073] When tension was applied in the vertical direction, the rate of change in resistance tended to increase, while the rate of change in capacitance tended to decrease, both showing linear changes.

[0074] When tension was applied in the left-right direction, the rate of change in resistance tended to increase, but the sensitivity was not very large, resulting in a significant difference compared to the sensitivity when tension was applied in the up-down direction. The rate of change in capacitance also tended to increase, exceeding the rate of change in resistance.

[0075] The specific configurations and numerical values ​​mentioned in the above-mentioned examples are merely illustrative and can be modified as appropriate depending on the actual product. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 10 ... Contact sensor 12... Elastic tube 14...Conductive fluid 16…metal pipe 18 ...another elastic tube 20…lid 24 ...Main unit D1, D2, D3, D4... Conductive channels

Claims

1. An elastic tube formed of an elastically deformable material, two metal pipes connected to both ends of the elastic tube, and two conductive channels each containing a conductive fluid to be filled into the elastic tube and the two metal pipes, and It comprises a body made of an elastically deformable material, which embeds the elastic tube portion of the two conductive channels, A contact sensor in which the elastic tubes of the two conductive channels are embedded in the main body such that they are parallel to each other in a plan view and intersect each other in a side view.

2. A conductive channel comprising an elastic tube formed of an elastically deformable material, two metal pipes connected to both ends of the elastic tube, and a conductive fluid filled within the elastic tube and the two metal pipes, and It comprises two bodies, each formed from an elastically deformable material and laminated together. A contact sensor using a conductive fluid, wherein folded portions of an elastic tube that forms a conductive channel and is continuous are embedded in the two main bodies.

3. A conductive channel forming member is prepared, which includes an elastic tube, two metal pipes connected to both ends of the elastic tube, and another elastic tube connected to each of the two metal pipes. A conductive fluid is injected from the aforementioned elastic tube into the conductive channel forming member, and A method for manufacturing a contact sensor using a conductive fluid, wherein the open ends of each of the aforementioned separate elastic tubes are sealed with lids.

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