Integrated Optical Tactile Array for Robotics and Automation Applications

这是第二阶段SBIR奖。 在第一阶段，技术 利用压力产生光学力传感器的可行性- 已经证明了诱导的双折射。 本研究 证明了可以制造具有以下特性的小型力/压力传感器： 大动态范围、低噪声、对各向同性的低灵敏度 温度和压力等环境变化。 II期 研究将包括制造一个集成的光学触觉 由砷化镓/砷化镓铝制成的阵列。 到 完成这一点，数组所需的子元素将是 建模、表征和测试。 这些元件包括波导， 反射器、波长特定分束器、N路分束器， 透镜和光学互连。 制作将使用 分子束外延 光学触觉传感器为3X 3 传感点位于1 mm中心的阵列，能够 解析力小于1毫牛顿。

This is a Phase II SBIR award. Under Phase I, the technical feasibility of producing an optical force sensor using pressure- induced birefringence has been demonstrated. This research demonstrated that a small force/pressure sensor could be made that has a large dynamic range, low noise, and low sensitivity to isotropic environmental changes such as temperature and pressure. The Phase II research will include the fabrication of an integrated optical tactile array made of gallium arsenide/gallium aluminum arsenide. To accomplish this, the sub-elements required for the array will be modeled, characterized and tested. These elements include waveguides, reflectors, wavelength-specific beam splitters, N-way splitters, lenses, and optical interconnects. The fabrication will be done using molecular beam epitaxy. The optical tactile transducer will be a 3X3 array with sensing sites on 1 mm centers and will be capable of resolving forces of less that one milli-Newton.