Tactile Sensor Contact Projection for Fine Surface Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tactile sensors have limited displacement and flexibility, making them inadequate for detecting fine ruggedness and surface features, and struggle to maintain consistent contact pressure for stable measurements.
Innovation Solution
A tactile sensor design with contacts projecting from the reference surface, allowing vertical and horizontal displacement, and incorporating strain detection elements to measure displacement in multiple directions, ensuring consistent contact pressure and enhanced flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the surface of the substrate is used as a sensing surface with vertical contact arrangement, then the sensor structure is compact and easy to manufacture, but the displacement is limited and the detection of fine ruggedness is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The contact is repositioned from a vertical arrangement to a horizontal arrangement that projects from the reference surface, enabling displacement in both vertical and horizontal directions. This dimensional change allows the contact to follow surface ruggedness more effectively while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through planar sensor part configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor configuration changes from using the substrate surface as the sensing surface to using a separate contact that projects from the reference surface. This parameter change enables larger displacement capability and improved flexibility for detecting fine surface features without compromising manufacturing precision.
2Device complexity
If the contact is vertically arranged to the substrate, then the sensor structure is simple, but the flexibility in designing tip shape is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By transitioning from vertical contact arrangement to horizontal projection from the reference surface, the design gains freedom in shaping the contact tip. The planar configuration allows various tip geometries to be implemented while keeping the overall sensor structure relatively simple and manufacturable.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional tactile sensor configuration is used, then the sensor is easy to manufacture, but it is difficult to keep contact surface pressure constant
Solution Approach 1:
The horizontal projection configuration of the contact from the reference surface enables better control over contact mechanics. This arrangement allows the contact to maintain more stable contact surface pressure during sensing operations while remaining compatible with standard manufacturing processes.
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
The sensor can detect fine surface ruggedness and features with high flexibility, providing stable measurements by maintaining consistent contact pressure and limiting excessive displacement, enabling accurate evaluation of touch feeling.
Implementation Method 1
The first strain detection element detects strain of the contact in the pressing direction
Implementation Method 2
the second strain detection element detects strain of the contact in the side slippage direction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(A)~2(B)
Figure 3
AI summary
To provide a tactile sensor that allows a contact to be displaced largely and can detect fine ruggedness, flexibility, and other features of a surface of a measuring object. A sensor part S includes a frame 10 that includes a side part of a substrate B, a contact 20 that is disposed in parallel to the substrate B so that a tip of the contact 20 projects from a side face of the substrate B, a suspension 30 that supports the contact 20 to the frame 10, and displacement detectors 41 and 42 each of which detects displacement of the contact 20. The side face of the substrate B functions as a sensing surface. The contact 20 coming in contact with a measuring object O is displaced on a level parallel to the substrate B. Since the sensor part S can be configured widely in a planar manner along the substrate B, the structure has higher flexibility of design. As a result, the sensor part S allows the contact 20 to be displaced largely, and can detect fine ruggedness, flexibility and other features of the surface of the measuring object O.