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Tactile and Force Sensors in Robotics
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Tactile and Force Sensors in Robotics

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2022) | Viewed by 12838

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Tetsuyou Watanabe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Frontier Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-Machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
Interests: robotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development of image recognition technology, the accuracy of recognizing an object or environment with an external sensor such as a camera has been greatly improved. However, the recognition accuracy is not sufficient for operations that require higher accuracy, such as assembly. In addition, it is difficult to recognize areas that cannot be captured by a visual sensor due to occlusion. In such a case, tactile or force sensors are needed. In view of the rapid improvement in the accuracy of image recognition by using machine learning, many new types of force–tactile sensors have been developed in recent years. For example, there have been attempts to obtain rich data by obtaining force and tactile information through images, because it is now possible to process large amounts of data. Recognition technology that uses large amounts of obtained force and haptic data is also attracting attention. The combination of image data and force/tactile information can be utilized to improve recognition accuracy. A new force control method or schema using a large amount of force and tactile data would be important in improving robot manipulation. With recent progress in robotic force and tactile sensors, this Special Issue focuses on new trends as well as the current state of the art in force and tactile sensors in robotics. Topics of interest include:

  • New designs;
  • New mechanisms;
  • Vision-based force/tactile sensors;
  • Recognition;
  • Control;
  • Integration of multiple sensors;
  • Motion planning based on sensory data;
  • Grasp planning;
  • Strategy for robotic operations or manipulation.

Dr. Tetsuyou Watanabe
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 12545 KiB  
Article
Soft Multi-Directional Force Sensor for Underwater Robotic Application
by Rafsan Al Shafatul Islam Subad, Md Mahmud Hasan Saikot and Kihan Park
Sensors 2022, 22(10), 3850; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22103850 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3878
Abstract
Tactile information is crucial for recognizing physical interactions, manipulation of an object, and motion planning for a robotic gripper; however, concurrent tactile technologies have certain limitations over directional force sensing. In particular, they are expensive, difficult to fabricate, and mostly unsuitable for underwater [...] Read more.
Tactile information is crucial for recognizing physical interactions, manipulation of an object, and motion planning for a robotic gripper; however, concurrent tactile technologies have certain limitations over directional force sensing. In particular, they are expensive, difficult to fabricate, and mostly unsuitable for underwater use. Here, we present a facile and cost-effective synthesis technique of a flexible multi-directional force sensing system, which is also favorable to be utilized in underwater environments. We made use of four flex sensors within a silicone-made hemispherical shell structure. Each sensor was placed 90° apart and aligned with the curve of the hemispherical shape. If the force is applied on the top of the hemisphere, all the flex sensors would bend uniformly and yield nearly identical readings. When force is applied from a different direction, a set of flex sensors would characterize distinctive output patterns to localize the point of contact as well as the direction and magnitude of the force. The deformation of the fabricated soft sensor due to applied force was simulated numerically and compared with the experimental results. The fabricated sensor was experimentally calibrated and tested for characterization including an underwater demonstration. This study would widen the scope of identification of multi-directional force sensing, especially for underwater soft robotic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tactile and Force Sensors in Robotics)
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12 pages, 3748 KiB  
Communication
Sensing and Rendering Method of 2-Dimensional Haptic Texture
by Satoshi Saga and Junya Kurogi
Sensors 2021, 21(16), 5523; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21165523 - 17 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2312
Abstract
Nowadays, touchscreens have been used worldwide. However, most of them lack realistic haptic feedback. Several haptic feedback devices employ one-dimensional vibration only. We aim at a novel rendering method for direction-controlled 2-dimensional vibration display to present texture information. This paper proposed a rendering [...] Read more.
Nowadays, touchscreens have been used worldwide. However, most of them lack realistic haptic feedback. Several haptic feedback devices employ one-dimensional vibration only. We aim at a novel rendering method for direction-controlled 2-dimensional vibration display to present texture information. This paper proposed a rendering method of texture information that enables lateral-force-based 2-dimensional vibration in the X and Y-axis. Moreover, we proposed combining AKAZE image feature information of the textures to improve the fidelity for larger periodic textures. We held experiments to evaluate the fidelity of the proposed method. The result shows that the proposed method has higher fidelity in presenting randomized textures and large periodic textures than the conventional method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tactile and Force Sensors in Robotics)
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14 pages, 3389 KiB  
Article
A Soft Resistive Sensor with a Semicircular Cross-Sectional Channel for Soft Cardiac Catheter Ablation
by Eric Rasmussen, Daniel Guo, Vybhav Murthy, Rachit Mishra, Cameron Riviere and Carmel Majidi
Sensors 2021, 21(12), 4130; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21124130 - 16 Jun 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2956
Abstract
The field of soft robotics has attracted the interest of the medical community due to the ability of soft elastic materials to traverse the abnormal environment of the human body. However, sensing in soft robotics has been challenging due to the sensitivity of [...] Read more.
The field of soft robotics has attracted the interest of the medical community due to the ability of soft elastic materials to traverse the abnormal environment of the human body. However, sensing in soft robotics has been challenging due to the sensitivity of soft sensors to various loading conditions and the nonlinear signal responses that can arise under extreme loads. Ideally, soft sensors should provide a linear response under a specific loading condition and provide a different response for other loading directions. With these specifications in mind, our team created a soft elastomeric sensor designed to provide force feedback during cardiac catheter ablation surgery. Analytical and computational methods were explored to define a relationship between resistance and applied force for a semicircular, liquid metal filled channel in the soft elastomeric sensor. Pouillet’s Law is utilized to calculate the resistance based on the change in cross-sectional area resulting from various applied pressures. FEA simulations were created to simulate the deformation of the sensor under various loads. To confirm the validity of these simulations, the elastomer was modeled as a neo-Hookean material and the liquid metal was modeled as an incompressible fluid with negligible shear modulus under uniaxial compression. Results show a linearly proportional relationship between the resistance of the sensor and the application of a uniaxial force. Altering the direction of applied force results in a quadratic relationship between total resistance and the magnitude of force. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tactile and Force Sensors in Robotics)
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29 pages, 7918 KiB  
Article
A Vibrissa-Inspired Highly Flexible Tactile Sensor: Scanning 3D Object Surfaces Providing Tactile Images
by Lukas Merker, Joachim Steigenberger, Rafael Marangoni and Carsten Behn
Sensors 2021, 21(5), 1572; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21051572 - 24 Feb 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2426
Abstract
Just as the sense of touch complements vision in various species, several robots could benefit from advanced tactile sensors, in particular when operating under poor visibility. A prominent tactile sense organ, frequently serving as a natural paragon for developing tactile sensors, is the [...] Read more.
Just as the sense of touch complements vision in various species, several robots could benefit from advanced tactile sensors, in particular when operating under poor visibility. A prominent tactile sense organ, frequently serving as a natural paragon for developing tactile sensors, is the vibrissae of, e.g., rats. Within this study, we present a vibrissa-inspired sensor concept for 3D object scanning and reconstruction to be exemplarily used in mobile robots. The setup consists of a highly flexible rod attached to a 3D force-torque transducer (measuring device). The scanning process is realized by translationally shifting the base of the rod relative to the object. Consequently, the rod sweeps over the object’s surface, undergoing large bending deflections. Then, the support reactions at the base of the rod are evaluated for contact localization. Presenting a method of theoretically generating these support reactions, we provide an important basis for future parameter studies. During scanning, lateral slip of the rod is not actively prevented, in contrast to literature. In this way, we demonstrate the suitability of the sensor for passively dragging it on a mobile robot. Experimental scanning sweeps using an artificial vibrissa (steel wire) of length 50 mm and a glass sphere as a test object with a diameter of 60 mm verify the theoretical results and serve as a proof of concept. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tactile and Force Sensors in Robotics)
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