Analysis of Soft Contact in Force Sensing and Elastic Jumping

Abstract

This study focuses on the mechanical contact between a soft body and the environment, referred to as soft contact. First, the soft contact between an object and a soft capacitive sensor was analyzed. We derived the stress-strain relationship of the dielectric in a soft capacitive sensor, where the sensor output depended on the force; however, it was independent of the contact area. Second, the soft contact between an elastic jumping robot and the environment was analyzed. We derived the local optimal shapes for higher jumping.