Tactile Sensor with High-Density Microcantilever and Multiple PDMS Bumps for Contact Detection

In the study, we investigated a detection method of partial contact of an object owing to curved or uneven surface of the contact object by a tactile sensor. The sensor is developed using three microcantilevers embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) bump. First, three bumps were employed to place a bump for each cantilever. It was possible to detect a contact position because the resistance change in the strain gauge on the cantilever under each bump significantly depended on the contact/non-contact state of each bump. Second, a tactile sensor with high-density arrangement of microcantilevers was used to detect partial or tilted contact situations. The results indicated that the output of a tactile sensor with high-density arrangement of microcantilevers reflected partial or tilted contact. It is suggested that a tactile sensor with multiple bumps and high-density microcantilevers allows for more dexterous gripping control based on the shape of the object and contact angle.