Sensors for Robotics

Dr. S. S. OHOL,
Assistant Professor,
Mechanical Engineering Department,
&
Faculty coordinator Robot Study Circle ,
College of Engineering , Pune – 411 005.
What is a Sensor ?

• It is a transducer used to make a measurement of a physical variable.

• Sensing include seeing , hearing, touching , smelling and various

measurement…etc
Need of Sensors?

• To provide information concerning position , velocity & acceleration

of the Joint , Arm , and End – effecter status.

• To Prevent damages to the Robot itself and to the operator i.e.

Safety Monitoring and Interlocks avoidance in work cell

• Inspection / Quality control

Characteristics of Sensing Devices / Desirable
Features

1) Range
2) Response
3) Accuracy
4) Sensitivity
5) Reliability
6) Linearity
7) Calibration
Selection Criterion of Robot Sensors

Device should not get affected by

1) Amount of Signals
2) Environment
3) Excess Signals / Noise

Desirable features

1) Compact size
2) Low Cost
3) Ease of operation
Types of Sensors

1) Tactile Sensors
2) Position / displacement Sensor
3) Proximity and Range Sensors
4) Force and Torque Sensors
5) Vision System
6) Miscellaneous ( such as Temp , Pressure , Fluid Flow, ..etc. )
Tactile Sensors

• Tactile Sensor.
The sensor is a combination of static
foil sensors and dynamic hair sensors.
• The parallel jaws of the gripper are equipped
with tactile sensors for enabling tactile feedback
during grasping movements. The sensor for each
jaw consists of two layers of static foil sensors
surrounded by several dynamic hair sensors. The
static foil sensors are based on the force sensing
resistor (FSR) foil developed by Interlink. which
changes its static resistance from about 10
M$\Omega$ to about 1 k$\Omega$ exponentially
with the pressure. By combining the FSR foil with
a linear potentiometer it is possible to measure
force and position in one dimension.
Position / displacement Sensor

• These transducers are for

displacement / position measurement.
They make an accurate position
measurement of the movement of the
armature (the sliding part) relative to
the body of the displacement
transducer.
• This transducer uses the Linear
Variable Differential Transformer
(LVDT) principle which means that it is
probably the most robust and reliable
position sensor type available.
L.V.D.T.

• Linear Variable
Differential Transformer:-
This is type of
electromechanical
transducer that can
convert the rectilinear
motion of an object to
which it is coupled
mechanically into a
corresponding electrical
signal.
Proximity and Range Sensors

• In robot, each finger is

equipped with a position sensor
& the proximity sensor measures
the distance of each finger from
the object surface and allows to
plan the approach motion in order
to get synchronous contacts.
Temperature Sensor

• This temperature sensor consists of a

stainless steel body, a wire held in tension
within the body, an electromagnetic coil,
and signal cable. The body of the sensor
expands and contracts with changes in
temperature, increasing or decreasing the
tension of the wire inside the body. When
a readout is connected to the sensor, it
sends an electric pulse to coil, which
plucks the wire and causes it to vibrate at
its natural frequency. A second coil picks
up the vibration and returns a frequency
to the readout. The frequency reading is
converted to units of temperature by
applying calibration factors.
Torque Sensors

• The shaft is what connects the sensor to the

object to which torque is applied. Torque is
applied to the object through the shaft. A
magnetoelastic ring is applied tightly to the
shaft. Twisting the shaft also twists the
magnetoelastic ring distorting the crystalline
structure of the ring. Left undisturbed, the
magnetic field runs parallel to the sides of the ring. As the ring
twists, The magnetic field changes direction, cutting across the sides
of the ring. The changing magnetic field induces current in the
induction coil surrounding the magnetoelastic ring. If more torque is
applied through the shaft, more current is produced. The ring and the
coil are electrically insulated from each other. The outside housing
that encases the torque sensor blocks unwanted external magnetic
fields.
Force Sensors

• This force sensor is an ultra-thin, flexible printed circuit. The force sensors are
constructed of two layers of substrate (polyester/polyimide) film. On each layer, a
conductive material (silver) is applied, followed by a layer of pressure-sensitive
ink. Adhesive is then used to laminate the two layers of substrate together to form
the force sensor. The active sensing area is defined by the silver circle on top of
the pressure-sensitive ink. Silver extends from the sensing area to the connectors
at the other end of the sensor, forming the conductive leads

• This single element force sensor acts as a force sensing resistor in an electrical
circuit. When the force sensor is unloaded, its resistance is very high. When a
force is applied to the sensor, this resistance decreases. The resistance can be
read by connecting a multimeter to the outer two pins, then applying a force to
the sensing area.
 Vision System

This module analyses the scene obtained by the stereo vision system. It is responsible for
image processing in order to perform two main functions: obstacle detection and their
location in the 3 to 4 m ahead from the user.
Classification of Sensors

• Mechanical – position , shape, velocity , …. etc.

• Electrical – Voltage, Current, conductivity … etc.
• Magnetic – Mag. Field , Flux,…..etc.
• Thermal – Temp. , sp. Heat , …etc.
• Others – Acoustics, Chemical, Radiation , Lasers, …etc
Thank
You