The invention concerns a method for estimating an external force acting on an electrohydrostatic actuator, the actuator comprising a ram including a first chamber, a second chamber and a piston located between the first chamber and the second chamber, a pump capable of injecting fluid into the chambers for controlling a movement of the piston, and an electric motor driving the pump, the method comprising steps of: estimating, by means of at least one state observer (21, 22), a dynamic component and a static component of a difference in equivalent fluid pressure between the first chamber and the second chamber from a rotational speed of the electric motor, a position of the piston and a supply current of the electric motor, estimating the external force by means of a post-processing module (23) as a combination of the estimated dynamic component and static component of the difference in fluid pressure.

Embodiments of a force sensor for a textile are provided where the sensor comprises: a tube having a compression portion and a transmission portion extending from the compression portion, the compression portion being routed into a sensing area fill geometry configured to receive a force applied to the textile in which the tube is embedded, the transmission portion comprised of a compression-resistant material, and the compression portion comprised of a compressible material; an electronic pressure sensing element fluidly coupled to the tube and spaced from the compression portion by the transmission portion, the electronic pressure sensing element configured to measure pressure exerted on the compression portion through the textile; and a fluid within the tube.