Flexible Circuit Robot Joints With Integrated Force and Position Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic parts, such as fingers, wrists, and arms, face challenges in reducing size while maintaining robust pressure and position sensing, increasing costs, and ensuring strong components due to bulky sensors, wires, and connectors.
Innovation Solution
The use of Flexible Circuit Boards (FCBs) integrated with capacitive pressure sensors and rotational position sensors eliminates the need for wiring harnesses and bulky connectors, allowing for compact designs with accurate sensing by folding sensors and circuits into a single unit, and incorporating a 4-bar linkage system for torque sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional sensors, wires, and connectors are used in robotic fingers, then sensing functionality is achieved, but the size of the robotic parts increases and compactness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (sensors, wires, connectors, circuit boards) into a single integrated flexible circuit board assembly. The pressure sensors, position sensors, and their connecting circuits are all merged onto one flexible substrate, eliminating the need for separate wiring harnesses and connectors, thereby significantly reducing the volume occupied by sensing systems in robotic fingers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible circuit boards as thin film structures to replace bulky traditional wiring and connector assemblies. These flexible circuits can be bent and routed through tight spaces within the robotic finger while maintaining electrical connections, enabling compact design without sacrificing sensing functionality.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and wiring components are included in robotic parts, then sensing capability is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensing functions (pressure sensing, position sensing) and their associated circuits are combined onto a single flexible circuit board. This integration eliminates the need for separate assembly steps for wiring harnesses, connectors, and individual sensor mounting, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining enhanced sensing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible circuit board serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the structural substrate, the electrical connection medium, the sensor mounting platform, and the signal transmission pathway. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate components and assembly operations.
3Reliability
If traditional wiring harnesses and connectors are used, then electrical connections are established, but the space required inside robotic parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible circuit board provides a thin film solution that replaces bulky wiring harnesses and connectors. The flexible nature of the circuit board allows it to be routed through narrow passages and tight spaces within the robotic finger while maintaining reliable electrical connections, thereby minimizing the space required for electrical infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of multiple wires and connectors into a single integrated flexible circuit board structure. This consolidation eliminates the cumulative space that would be required for multiple separate wiring harnesses and connectors, significantly reducing the volume dedicated to electrical connections.
4Volume of moving object
If the number of sensors and wiring components is reduced to decrease size, then compactness is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple sensors and circuits onto a single flexible circuit board, the patent reduces the total number of discrete components that need to be sourced, managed, and assembled. This consolidation simplifies the bill of materials and assembly processes, offsetting the cost of the specialized flexible circuit board manufacturing with reduced complexity in other areas of production.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the size and assembly costs of robotic parts while enhancing sensing accuracy and reliability, enabling compact and functional robotic components like fingers, wrists, and arms.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitive pressure sensor, the capacitive pressure sensor having two electrodes folded around a compressible dielectric pad
Implementation Method 2
at least one rotational position encoder... and at least one magnet, the at least one magnet being embedded in a joint of the robotic component so that the at least one magnet and the at least one rotational position encoder are on-axis with the joint
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic component can include a Flexible Circuit Board (FCB) that can be bent into various shapes throughout the robotic component. The FCB can include various integrated sensors that can be manufactured as part of the FCB in a way that reduces the size and number of connections. The FCB can include capacitive force sensors that can measure a quantity of force and can be unitary with the FCB and can be manufactured by folding two electrodes around a compressible dielectric pad.