Sensors, Vol. 23, Pages 567: ESPRESS.0: Eustachian Tube-Inspired Tactile Sensor Exploiting Pneumatics for Range Extension and SenSitivity Tuning

Sensors, Vol. 23, Pages 567: ESPRESS.0: Eustachian Tube-Inspired Tactile Sensor Exploiting Pneumatics for Range Extension and SenSitivity Tuning Sensors doi: 10.3390/s23020567 Authors: George P. Jenkinson Andrew T. Conn Antonia Tzemanaki Optimising the sensitivity of a tactile sensor to a specific range of stimuli magnitude usually compromises the sensor’s widespread usage. This paper presents a novel soft tactile sensor capable of dynamically tuning its stiffness for enhanced sensitivity across a range of applied forces, taking inspiration from the Eustachian tube in the mammalian ear. The sensor exploits an adjustable pneumatic back pressure to control the effective stiffness of its 20 mm diameter elastomer interface. An internally translocated fluid is coupled to the membrane and optically tracked to measure physical interactions at the interface. The sensor can be actuated by pneumatic pressure to dynamically adjust its stiffness. It is demonstrated to detect forces as small as 0.012 N, and to be sensitive to a difference of 0.006 N in the force range of 35 to 40 N. The sensor is demonstrated to be capable of detecting tactile cues on the surface of objects in the sub-millimetre scale. It is able to adapt its compliance to increase its ability for distinguishing between stimuli with similar stiffnesses (0.181 N/mm difference) over a large range (0.1 to 1.1 N/mm) from only a 0.6 mm deep palpation. The sensor is intended to interact comfortably wit...
Source: Sensors - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research
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