Whole-body tactile sensing through a force sensor using soft materials in contact areas

Abstract

A force/torque sensor is a useful tool for detecting an external force acting on a robot. Techniques to detect a contact position from a single force/torque sensor have also been developed, but these have used rigid materials in the contact areas. In terms of safety, the material should have shock-absorbing characteristics. Hence, this paper investigates the use of a urethane sponge in the contact areas and evaluates the performance of contact point calculation. First, the relationship between the external force and the displacement of the urethane sponge is measured and a model of the deformation is discussed. Second, a compensation method for soft material deformation is proposed. Finally, the performance of the whole-body tactile sensing system is verified through several experimental results.