Contact Sensors for Dextrous Robotic Hands

摘要

This thesis examines a tactile sensor and a thermal sensor for use with the Utah-MIT dexterous four fingered hand. Sensory feedback is critical for full utilization of its advanced manipulatory capabilities. The hand itself provides tendon tenions and joint angles information. However, planned control algorithms require more information than these sources can provide. The tactile sensor utilizes capacitive transduction with a novel design based entirely on silicone elastomers. It provides an 8x8 array of force cells with 1.9 mm center-to-center spacing. A pressure resolution of 8 significant bits is available over a 0 to 200 grams per square mm range. The thermal sensor measures a material's heat conductivity by radiating heat into an object and measuring the resulting temperature variations. This sensor has a 4x4 array of temperature cells with 3.5 mm center-to-center spacing. Experiments show that the thermal sensor can discriminate among material by detecting differences in their thermal conduction properties. Both sensors meet the stringent mounting requirements posed by the Utah-MIT hand. Combining together to form a sensor with both tactile and thermal capabilities will ultimately be possible. Keywords: computer architecture; requirements.