A compliant tri-axial force sensor is disclosed that may be incorporated into soft robots or electronic skin. The sensor comprises a first electrode layer including column electrodes in a first orientation; a second electrode layer including column electrodes in a second orientation that is orthogonal to the first orientation; a force-dependent active layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer configured to change at least one property—such as quantum tunneling, conductivity, resistivity, or electrical charge—when subjected to a force; at least one three dimensional bump arranged to transmit externally applied force through the active layer; and at least one spacer arranged to maintain a separation between two or more layers in the sensor until an external force is applied.

A tactile sensor includes a first layer formed of flexible material having an outer contact surface and an opposed inner interface surface, a second layer formed of substantially transparent flexible material arranged in substantially continuous contact with the flexible first layer at the interface surface, a camera, and reflective material. The first and second layers are configured so that pressure exerted by an object or objects contacting the outer contact surface causes at least localized distortion of the interface surface. The camera is arranged to capture an image of the interface surface through the flexible second layer. The reflective material is configured so that the appearance of at least part of the reflective material changes as the viewing angle changes and the reflective material is located between the layers at the interface surface.

Embodiments generally relate to an addressing circuit for a conductor array comprising intersecting row and column conductors. The addressing circuit comprises a switching circuit configured to selectively address an intersection between a selected row conductor and a selected column conductor for connection to a measuring circuit; and at least one voltage buffer selectively connectable to un-selected column conductors on opposite sides of and adjacent to the selected column conductor. The at least one voltage buffer is configured to equalise voltages between the un-selected column conductors and the selected column conductor.

A haptic detection apparatus includes: a capacitance detection unit that detects capacitance of each of capacitors which changes according to an external force applied to a second electrode plate of a capacitance-type load sensor; a distributed load measurement unit that measures a distributed load indicating a distribution of load applied to each of the cylinders on the basis of a change amount of the capacitance of each capacitor which is detected by the capacitance detection unit; and a load information calculation unit that calculates a total load and a load center position of the external force applied to the second electrode plate of the load sensor on the basis of a relation between an expansion/contraction amount of each cylinder relative to the distributed load measured by the distributed load measurement unit and a pattern of the distributed load.

A flex-rigid sensor apparatus for providing sensor data from sensors disposed on an end-effector/gripper to the control circuit of an arm-type robotic system. The apparatus includes piezo-type pressure sensors sandwiched between lower and upper PCB stack-up structures respectively fabricated using rigid PCB (e.g., FR-4) and flexible PCB (e.g., polyimide) manufacturing processes. Additional (e.g., temperature and proximity) sensors are mounted on the upper/flexible stack-up structure. A spacer structure is disposed between the two stack-up structures and includes an insulating material layer defining openings that accommodate the pressure sensors. Copper film layers are configured to provide Faraday cages around each pressure sensor. The pressure sensors, additional sensors and Faraday cages are connected to sensor data processing and control circuitry (e.g., analog-to-digital converter circuits) by way of signal traces formed in the lower and upper stack-up structures and in the spacer structure. An encapsulation layer is formed on the upper PCB stack-up structure.

Systems and methods for determining a pose of an object held by a flexible end effector of a robot are disclosed. A method of determining a pose of the object includes receiving tactile data from tactile sensors, receiving curvature data from curvature sensors, determining a plurality of segments of the flexible end effector from the curvature data, assigning a frame to each segment, determining a location of each point of contact between the object and the flexible end effector from the tactile data, calculating a set of relative transformations and determining a location of each point relative to one of the frames, generating continuous data from the determined location of each point, and providing the continuous data to a pose determination algorithm that uses the continuous data to determine the pose of the object.

The invention relates to a method of fabricating a conductive fabric by vapor phase polymerization, a multi-pressure sensor for a fiber type, and a multi-pressure measuring method employing the multi-pressure sensor. The method of fabricating a conductive fabric by vapor phase polymerization provides a conductive fabric having a resistance value which changes depending on pressure applied by a user. The multi-pressure measuring method employing the multi-pressure sensor has high resistance to moisture and repeated loading, is manufactured with lower costs than existing pressure sensors, is capable of measuring both dynamic and static pressures using a principle of a piezo-resistive sensor, has a simple circuit configuration, and is strong against a high-frequency disturbance.

A proximity and three-axis force sensor based sensor may include a first taxel including a first electrode formed within a top layer configured in a serpentine pattern, a second electrode formed within a bottom layer, and a dielectric layer positioned between the top layer and the bottom layer and a second taxel including a first electrode formed within the top layer and having a first surface area, a second electrode formed within the bottom layer and having a second surface area, and a ground electrode formed within the top layer above the first electrode of the second taxel having a surface area greater than the first surface area of the first electrode of the second taxel. The second surface area may be different than the first surface area. A first edge of the first electrode may be vertically aligned with a first edge of the second electrode.

A human interface device may include a deformable body having a handle portion, and a deformable conductor coupled to the deformable body and arranged to deform in response to a physical manipulation of the deformable body. The physical manipulation may include compressing, flexing, twisting, and/or stretching at least a portion of the deformable body. The deformable conductor may be arranged to change an electric characteristic such as a resistance, capacitance and/or inductance in response to the physical manipulation. The deformable conductor may include a sensor portion, and a transmission portion. The sensor portion may sense a first type of physical manipulation, and the transmission portion may sense a second type of physical manipulation.

Disclosed is a surgical instrument, comprising an end effector configured to grasp tissue. The end effector comprises a jaw, and a staple cartridge seatable in the jaw, wherein the staple cartridge comprises a sensor array. The surgical instrument further comprises a power source configured to supply power to the staple cartridge, and a transmission system. The transmission system is configured to wirelessly transmit the power from the surgical instrument to the staple cartridge, monitor an efficiency of a transfer of the power from the surgical instrument to the staple cartridge, and adjust a transfer parameter based on the efficiency of the transfer.