A MICRO OPTICAL THREE-AXIS TACTILE SENSOR CAPABLE OF RECOGNIZING A MICRO OBJECT

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A micro optical three-axis tactile sensor was capable of sensing not only vertical force but also horizontal force. The vertical force was detected from the contact area of conical feelers formed on the rubber sheet surface of an optical waveguide type tactile sensor. The horizontal force was detected from the horizontal displacement of the conical feelers. To validate the above-mentioned principle, a robot equipped with a torque-moment sensor applied several combined forces to a large sized tactile sensor surface. As indicated by the experimental results, the vertical force was specified uniquely under combined force conditions and the horizontal force was specified by modifying the relationship between the horizontal force and the horizontal displacement on the basis of vertical force. Subsequently, the micro optical tactile sensor was developed using a precise electric discharge milling machine. In the sensor, the vertical force was more precisely determined by integration of gray scale vale than by the contact areas of conical feelers. Finally, the others attempted to apply the sensor to a master-slave system using a tactile presentation device capable of generating virtual surface texture. Three human subjects discriminated ten pattern of the texture.