Device with isotropic planar compliance comprising a floating body (2) positioned between a first (3) and second frame (4), said floating body having an extended portion (21) protruding through the first frame, at least a row of caged balls (5) supporting the floating body, at least one elastic element (6) positioned over the extended portion of the floating body, compressed between and connecting the floating body and the first frame. Said caged balls allow the at least one elastic element to laterally deform, so that their axis bends, while the ends of said at least one elastic element lay on two parallel planes, which remain at constant distance while sliding one with respect to the other. The device comprises also at least one displacement sensor (10), for measuring the displacement of the floating body with respect to the first or second frame.

Deformable sensors and methods for modifying membrane stiffness through magnetic attraction are provided. A deformable sensor may include a membrane coupled to a housing to form a sensor cavity. The deformable sensor may further include magnetically-attractable particles located on or within the membrane. The deformable sensor may additionally include a magnetic object located at a base within the sensor cavity. The magnetic object may be configured to modifiably attract the magnetically-attractable particles and modify stiffness of the deformable sensor by modifying air pressure within the sensor cavity, based on modifiable strength of the magnetic object to attract the magnetically-attractable particles.

Deformable sensors and methods for modifying membrane stiffness are provided. A deformable sensor may include a membrane coupled to a housing to form a sensor cavity. The deformable sensor may further include a rotational element having an adjustable vertical position and a modifiable rotation. The rotational element may be supported at a base of the sensor cavity. The rotational element may be configured to establish and withdraw contact with respect to the membrane to modify stiffness of the membrane. The rotational element may further be configured to modify stiffness of the membrane by withdrawing the rotational element from the membrane.

A sensor according to the present technology includes a sensor unit and a separation layer. The sensor unit includes a first pressure sensor on a front side and a second pressure sensor on a rear side that are opposite to each other and detects, on the basis of pressure detection positions in an in-plane direction by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, a force in the in-plane direction. The separation layer has a gap portion and is interposed between the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.

A piezoelectric sensor includes an elastic body, a piezoelectric element which is disposed at a position where the piezoelectric element has contact with the elastic body, and which is configured to output a voltage signal when deforming in accordance with a deformation of the elastic body, and a detector configured to detect the voltage signal output from the piezoelectric element, wherein the detector detects kinetic frictional force generated between the object and the elastic body based on a variation in the voltage signal due to the relative movement of the object to the elastic body.

Systems and methods for detecting pose and force against an object are provided. A method includes receiving a signal from a deformable sensor comprising data from a deformation region in a deformable membrane resulting from contact with the object utilizing an internal sensor disposed within an enclosure and having a field of view directed through a medium and toward a bottom surface of the deformable membrane. The method also determines a pose of the object based on the deformation region of the deformable membrane. The method also determines an amount of force applied between the deformable membrane and the object is determined based on the deformation region of the deformable membrane.

A clamp device has first and second jaws movable relative to one another for clamping an object therebetween. A clamp sensor operatively connected to one of the jaws generates a clamping signal representative of a clamping force urging the first and second jaws towards one another. A display is arranged to display a value proportional to the clamping signal which is representative of the clamping force between the first and second jaws. A motor for driving movement of the second jaw relative to the first jaw is operated by a controller that responds to operator commands in a manual control mode and/or which automatically drives the motor so as to maintain the clamping signal measured by the clamp sensor within a prescribed threshold range to apply a constant clamping force between the first and second jaws under an automated control mode.

A device for testing at least one plug-in element includes a plug-in element receptacle and a test element receptacle, which are adapted to be movable along a test axis for establishing a plug-in connection. A force sensor is configured and disposed to detect a force along the test axis when the plug-in connection is established. A compensating element is configured and disposed for compensating for an offset between the plug-in element and a test element. The compensating element is configured to be at least partially elastic so that the test element is elastically movable to compensate for alignment deviations from the test axis. A method for testing at least one plug-in element is provided along with a method for producing the compensating element.

A force detection apparatus includes first and second force sensors each including a force detection device having a force detection axis, a first inertial sensor disposed in the vicinity of the first force sensor and having an inertia detection axis extending along the force detection axis of the first force sensor, and a second inertial sensor disposed in the vicinity of the second force sensor and having an inertia detection axis extending along the force detection axis of the second force sensor.

A sensor includes a structure and a detector. The detector is arranged to detect a deformation of the structure. The structure has at least four elastic sections. The at least four elastic sections are discretely disposed in an imaginary plane.