Konishi Satoshi, Mori Fuminari, Shimizu Ayano, Hirata Akiya
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan.
Graduate Course of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan.
Micromachines (Basel). 2021 Apr 2;12(4):395. doi: 10.3390/mi12040395.
Motion capture of a robot and tactile sensing for a robot require sensors. Strain sensors are used to detect bending deformation of the robot finger and to sense the force from an object. It is important to introduce sensors in effective combination with actuators without affecting the original performance of the robot. We are interested in the improvement of flexible strain sensors integrated into soft microrobot fingers using a pneumatic balloon actuator (PBA). A strain sensor using a microchannel filled with liquid metal was developed for soft PBAs by considering the compatibility of sensors and actuators. Inflatable deformation generated by PBAs, however, was found to affect sensor characteristics. This paper presents structural reinforcement of a liquid metal-based sensor to solve this problem. Parylene C film was deposited into a microchannel to reinforce its structure against the inflatable deformation caused by a PBA. Parylene C deposition into a microchannel suppressed the interference of inflatable deformation. The proposed method enables the effective combination of soft PBAs and a flexible liquid metal strain sensor for use in microrobot fingers.
机器人的运动捕捉和触觉传感都需要传感器。应变传感器用于检测机器人手指的弯曲变形，并感知来自物体的力。在不影响机器人原有性能的情况下，将传感器与执行器有效结合是很重要的。我们对使用气动气球执行器（PBA）集成到软微型机器人手指中的柔性应变传感器的改进感兴趣。通过考虑传感器和执行器的兼容性，为软PBA开发了一种使用填充液态金属的微通道的应变传感器。然而，发现PBA产生的充气变形会影响传感器特性。本文提出了一种基于液态金属的传感器的结构加固方法来解决这个问题。聚对二甲苯C薄膜沉积到微通道中，以增强其结构抵抗由PBA引起的充气变形。聚对二甲苯C沉积到微通道中抑制了充气变形的干扰。所提出的方法能够有效地将软PBA和柔性液态金属应变传感器结合用于微型机器人手指。
