Tactile sensors are required in various areas such as robotics, human interfaces. Since sensing elements and wiring space are limited, it is important that a few sensing elements cover a large area. In this study, a tactile sensor which comprises of an elastic layer and a substrate layer is proposed. This sensor has some magnets and giant magnetoresistance effect elements (GMR elements) as sensor elements. The tactile sensor estimates a location and depth of a touch based on the output voltages of GMR elements. The estimate equation is determined by the genetic programming. The effectiveness of the tactile sensor is confirmed through laboratory experiments.
LipomiD.J., VosgueritchianM., TeeB.C.-K., Hell-StromS.L., LeeJ.A., FoxC.H. and BaoZ., Skin-like pressure and strain sensors based on transparent elastic films of carbon nanotubes, Nature Nanotechnology6 (2011), 788-792.
2.
OhokaM., YussofH.B. and AbdullahS.C., Object-Handling Tasks Based on Active Tactile and Slippage Sensations, Robot Arms, ISBN: 978-953-307-160-2, InTech, DOI: 10.5772/16781(2011).
3.
TakenawaS., A magnetic type tactile sensor using a two-dimensional array of inductors, Proceedings of 2009 IEEE Enternational Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2009, pp. 3295-3300.
4.
NakamotoH. et al., Structure and Fundamental Evaluation of Magnetic Type Tactile Sensor, Int. J. of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics39 (2012), 1021-1026.
5.
VallboA.B. and JohanssonR.S., Properties of cutaneous mechanoreceptors in the human hand related to touch sensation, Hum Neurobiol3(1) (1984), 3-14.
