Design, Modeling, and Construction of a New Tactile Sensor for Measuring Contact-Force

This paper presents the design, modeling, and testing of a flexible tactile sensor and its applications. This sensor is made of polymer materials and can detect the 2D surface texture image and contact-force estimation. The sensing mechanism is based on the novel contact deflection effect of a membrane. We measure the deflection of the membrane with measuring the strain in the membrane with embedded strain gauge. It consists of a chamber and a membrane. Inner radius of the sensor element is 2 cm and its outer radius is 3cm. Furthermore, the size and shape can be easily tailored to the applications requirements. The proposed sensor with the potential for further miniaturization is suitable for using in medical applications, especially in minimally invasive surgery.