1 Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Université Paris Diderot & CNRS, Paris, France.
2 CRI, Département Frontières du vivant et de l'apprendre, IIFR, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
Soft Robot. 2019 Jun;6(3):346-355. doi: 10.1089/soro.2018.0044. Epub 2019 Mar 11.
Possessing a sense of touch is fundamental for robots to operate outside controlled environments. Nevertheless, pressure and force-sensing technologies are still less mature than vision or proprioception solutions in commercial robots. In this study we present a novel spatially resolved force sensor that allows dynamic measurement of both the intensity and the direction of forces exerted on a custom-shaped surface. Originally designed for biomechanics of arboreal primates, this sensor meets several challenges in engineering robotic skin. Of importance, its ability to measure tangential forces would be instrumental for robotic hands to grasp deformable and unknown objects. Based on optical measurements of deformations, this array sensor presents a soft, biocompatible, weather resistant body, immune to electromagnetic interferences. Central to the cost-effectiveness of this solution is an architecture where a single image sensor handles hundreds of force measurement points simultaneously. We demonstrate the performance of this sensor in reconstructing normal and slantwise forces on a flat prototype adapted to forces under 3 N. Finally, we discuss the broad range of possible customizations and extensions for applications in biomechanics and robotics.
触觉对于机器人在非受控环境中运行至关重要。然而，压力和力感测技术在商业机器人中的成熟度仍低于视觉或本体感觉解决方案。在本研究中，我们提出了一种新颖的空间分辨力传感器，可动态测量施加在定制形状表面上的力的强度和方向。该传感器最初专为树栖灵长类动物的生物力学设计，满足了机器人皮肤工程中的多个挑战。重要的是，它测量切向力的能力对于机器人手抓取可变形和未知物体至关重要。基于对变形的光学测量，这种阵列传感器具有柔软、生物相容、耐候性好的特点，不受电磁干扰的影响。该解决方案具有成本效益的关键在于一种架构，其中单个图像传感器可同时处理数百个力测量点。我们展示了该传感器在重建适应 3N 以下力的平面原型上的正常和斜向力的性能。最后，我们讨论了在生物力学和机器人技术应用中进行广泛定制和扩展的可能性。
