A novel, low-cost, compliant fingertip sensor for robotic gripper applications is presented. The fingertip sensor is intended for use in grippers where force feedback information is needed, such as in clean room or space applications where telerobotic operation is desired. The fingertip is approximately the size of the thumb of an adult male and is approximately as compliant as human flesh. The sensor was designed to optimize the sensitivity to four components of force/torque: the normal force, both tangential force terms, and the torque about the normal axis. Finite-element analysis was used to optimize the shape of the fingertip and the location/size of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film piezoelectric sensing elements. The design analysis and the experimental results from evaluation of the prototype robot fingertip sensors are presented.
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