Tactile sensor

The SynTouch BioTac,[1] a multimodal tactile sensor

modeled after the human fingertip

A tactile sensor is a device that measures

information arising from physical
interaction with its environment. Tactile
sensors are generally modeled after the
biological sense of cutaneous touch which
is capable of detecting stimuli resulting
from mechanical stimulation, temperature,
and pain (although pain sensing is not
common in artificial tactile sensors).
Tactile sensors are used in robotics,
computer hardware and security systems.
A common application of tactile sensors is
in touchscreen devices on mobile phones
and computing.

Tactile sensors may be of different types

including piezoresistive, piezoelectric,
capacitive and elastoresistive sensors.[2]
Uses
Tactile sensors appear in everyday life
such as elevator buttons and lamps which
dim or brighten by touching the base.
There are also innumerable applications
for tactile sensors of which most people
are never aware.

Sensors that measure very small changes

must have very high sensitivities. Sensors
need to be designed to have a small effect
on what is measured; making the sensor
smaller often improves this and may
introduce other advantages. Tactile
sensors can be used to test the
performance of all types of applications.
For example, these sensors have been
used in the manufacturing of automobiles
(brakes, clutches, door seals, gasket),
battery lamination, bolted joints, fuel cells
etc.

Tactile imaging, as a medical imaging

modality, translating the sense of touch
into a digital image is based on the tactile
sensors. Tactile imaging closely mimics
manual palpation, since the probe of the
device with a pressure sensor array
mounted on its face acts similar to human
fingers during clinical examination,
deforming soft tissue by the probe and
detecting resulting changes in the
pressure pattern.

Robots designed to interact with objects

requiring handling involving precision,
dexterity, or interaction with unusual
objects, need sensory apparatus which is
functionally equivalent to a human's tactile
ability. Tactile sensors have been
developed for use with robots. Tactile
sensors can complement visual systems
by providing added information when the
robot begins to grip an object. At this time
vision is no longer sufficient, as the
mechanical properties of the object
cannot be determined by vision alone.
Determining weight, texture, stiffness,
center of mass, coefficient of friction, and
thermal conductivity require object
interaction and some sort of tactile
sensing.

Several classes of tactile sensors are used

in robots in warfare and engineering

Pressure Sensor Arrays

Pressure sensor arrays are large grids of
tactels. A "tactel" is a ‘tactile element’.
Each tactel is capable of detecting normal
forces. Tactel-based sensors provide a
high resolution ‘image’ of the contact
surface. Alongside spatial resolution and
force sensitivity, systems-integration
questions such as wiring and signal
routing are important.[3] Pressure sensor
arrays are available in thin-film form. They
are primarily used as analytical tools used
in the manufacturing and R&D processes
by engineers and technicians, and have
been adapted for use in robots. Examples
of such sensors available to consumers
include arrays built from conductive
rubber,[4] lead zirconate titanate (PZT),
polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF), PVDF-
TrFE,[5] FET,[6] and metallic capacitive
sensing elements.

Strain Gauge Rosettes

Strain gauges rosettes are constructed
from multiple strain gauges, with each
gauge detecting the force in a particular
direction. When the information from each
strain gauge is combined, the information
allows determination of a pattern of forces
or torques.[7]

Biologically Inspired Tactile

Sensors
A variety of biologically inspired designs
have been suggested ranging from simple
whisker-like sensors which measure only
one point at a time [8] through more
advanced fingertip-like sensors,[9][10][11] to
complete skin-like sensors as on the latest
iCub(citation needed). Biologically inspired
tactile sensors often incorporate more
than one sensing strategy. For example,
they might detect both the distribution of
pressures, and the pattern of forces that
would come from pressure sensor arrays
and strain gauge rosettes, allowing two-
point discrimination and force sensing,
with human-like ability.

Advanced versions of biologically

designed tactile sensors include vibration
sensing which has been determined to be
important for understanding interactions
between the tactile sensor and objects
where the sensor slides over the object.
Such interactions are now understood to
be important for human tool use and
judging the texture of an object.[9] One
such sensor combines force sensing,
vibration sensing, and heat transfer
sensing.[1]

DIY and Open-Hardware

Tactile Sensors
Recently, a sophisticated tactile sensor
has been made open-hardware, enabling
enthusiasts and hobbyists to experiment
with an otherwise expensive
technology.[12] Furthermore, with the
advent of cheap optical cameras, novel
sensors have been proposed which can be
built easily and cheaply with a 3D
printer.[13]

See also
Haptic technology
List of sensors
Pressure measurement
Sensitivity
Sensors
Transducer
Tactile imaging

References
1. Syntouch technology
2. . Tactile sensors also come in the form
of pressure indicating films that reveal
pressure distribution and magnitude
between contacting surfaces by virtue of
an immediate and permanent color change.
These pressure indicating films are one-
time use sensor that capture the maximum
pressure they were exposed to. Pressure
indicating films are activated by chemical
reaction and are non-electronic sensors.
Robotic Tactile Sensing - Technologies and
System
3. Tactile Sensing - From Humans to
Humanoids
4. A tactile sensor sheet using pressure
conductive rubber with electrical-wires
stitched method
5. Towards Tactile Sensing System on Chip
for Robotic Applications
6. Piezoelectric oxide semiconductor field
effect transistor touch sensing devices
7. Data sheet for Schunk FT-Nano 43, a 6-
axis force torque sensor
8.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Math
ew_Evans2/publication/221116457_Tactile
_Discrimination_Using_Template_Classifier
s_Towards_a_Model_of_Feature_Extraction
_in_Mammalian_Vibrissal_Systems/links/0
deec516be39482f27000000.pdf
9. A robust micro-vibration sensor for
biomimetic fingertips
10. Development of a tactile sensor based
on biologically inspired edge encoding
11. A biologically inspired tactile sensor
array utilizing phase-based computation
12. TakkTile sensor plans
13. DIY tactile sensor based on webcam
External links
Automation and Robotics
Tactile/Touch and Resistive Based
Sensors

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