Flexible Tactile Sensor Skin Using Wireless Sensor Elements Coupled with 2D Microwaves

Hiroyuki Shinoda; Hiromasa Chigusa; Yasutoshi Makino

doi:10.20965/jrm.2010.p0784

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JRM Vol.22 No.6 pp. 784-789

doi: 10.20965/jrm.2010.p0784

(2010)

Paper:

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Flexible Tactile Sensor Skin Using Wireless Sensor Elements Coupled with 2D Microwaves

Hiroyuki Shinoda^, Hiromasa Chigusa^, and Yasutoshi Makino^

^*The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan

^**Future Architect, Inc.

^***Keio University

Received:

January 18, 2010

Accepted:

January 28, 2010

Published:

December 20, 2010

Keywords:

tactile sensor, haptics, flexible robot skin, wireless sensor chip, 2D microwaves

Abstract

The stretchable sensor skin we propose uses microwaves propagating in a two-Dimensional Signal Transmission (2DST) sheet. A small tactile sensor chip with a pair of Resonant Proximity Connectors (RPCs) couples with 2D microwaves carrying signals. Chip operating power is also supplied by 2D microwaves. The RPC is a spiral electrode whose arc length is a quarter of the electromagnetic wavelength. Chip operating power is supplied by 2D microwaves. Sensor chips are connected to the 2DST sheet by RPCs without electrical contacts anywhere on the sheet. Resonance induced at the electrode reduces impedance between the connector and the conductive layer of the 2DST sheet, enabling sensor chips to be connected stably to the sheet. Experimental results on the RPC show the concept to be effective. We fabricated a 1-bit (touch detection) tactile sensor element consisting of a RFID-tag and RPCs, and confirmed in experiments that the sensor element operates in a stretchable 2DST sheet.

Cite this article as:

H. Shinoda, H. Chigusa, and Y. Makino, “Flexible Tactile Sensor Skin Using Wireless Sensor Elements Coupled with 2D Microwaves,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.22 No.6, pp. 784-789, 2010.

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References

[1] H. R. Nicholls and M. H. Lee, “A Survey of Robot Tactile Sensing Technology,” The Int. J. of Robotics Research, Vol.8, No.3, pp. 3-30, 1989.
[2] M. H. Lee and H. R. Nicholls, “Tactile sensing for mechatronics – a state of the art survey,” Mechatronics, Vol.9, pp. 1-31, 1999.
[3] K. Kamiyama, K. Vlack, H. Kajimoto, N. Kawakami, and S. Tachi, “Vision-Based Sensor for Real-Time Measuring of Surface Traction Fields,” IEEE Computer Graphics & Applications Magazine, Jan-Feb, Jan-Feb, pp. 68-75, 2005.
[4] Y. Ohmura, Y. Kuniyoshi, and A. Nagakubo, “Conformable and Scalable Tactile Sensor Skin for Curved Surfaces,” Proc. of the 2006 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Orlando, Florida, pp. 1348-1353, May 2006.
[5] A. Nagakubo, H. Alirezaei, and Y. Kuniyoshi, “A deformable and deformation sensitive tactile distribution sensor,” IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Biomimetics 2007, Vol.15, Issue 18, pp. 1301-1308, 2007.
[6] Y. Kato, T. Hayakawa, and T. Mukai, “Soft Areal Tactile Sensor Using Tomography Algorithm,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.20, No.4, 2008.
[7] H. Kawaguchi, T. Someya, T. Sekitani, and T. Sakurai, “Cut-and-Paste Customization of Organic FET Integrated Circuit and Its Application to Electronic Artificial Skin,” IEEE J. of Solid-State Circuits, Vol.40, No.1, pp. 177-185, 2005.
[8] J. Engel, J. Chen, Z. Fan, and C. Liu, “Polymer micromachined multimodal tactile sensors,” Sensors and Actuators A-Physical, Vol.117, No.1, pp. 50-61, 2005.
[9] M. Shimojo, T. Arakil, M. Teranishi, A. Ming, and M. Ishikawa, “A net-structure tactile sensor covering freeform surface with reduced wiring,” SICE 2008 – 47th Annual Conf. of the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers of Japan, pp. 904-9, 2008.
[10] M. Hakozaki, H. Oasa, and H. Shinoda, “Telemetric Robot Skin,” Proc. 1999 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 957-961, 1999.
[11] M. Hakozaki and H. Shinoda, “Digital Tactile Sensing Elements Communicating through Conductive Skin Layers,” Proc. 2002 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics & Automation, pp. 3813-3817, 2002.
[12] K. V. Laerhoven, N. Villar, A. Schmidt, and H. W. Gellersen, “Pin & Play: The Surface as Network Medium,” IEEE Communication Magazine, pp. 90-95, 2003.
[13] J. Lifton and J. Paradiso, “Pushpin Computing System Overview: A Platform for Distributed, Embedded, Ubiquitous Sensor Networks,” Proc. Perv. Comp., LNCS 2414, pp. 139-151, 2002.
[14] H. Chigusa, Y. Makino, and H. Shinoda, “Large Area Sensor Skin Based on Two-Dimensional Signal Transmission Technology,” Proc.World Haptics 2007, Tsukuba, Japan, pp. 151-156, Mar. 2007.
[15] Y. Makino, K. Minamizawa, and H. Shinoda, “Two Dimensional Communication Technology for Networked Sensing System,” Proc. INSS 2005, pp. 168-173, 2005.

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.

[1] [1] H. R. Nicholls and M. H. Lee, “A Survey of Robot Tactile Sensing Technology,” The Int. J. of Robotics Research, Vol.8, No.3, pp. 3-30, 1989.

[2] [2] M. H. Lee and H. R. Nicholls, “Tactile sensing for mechatronics – a state of the art survey,” Mechatronics, Vol.9, pp. 1-31, 1999.

[3] [3] K. Kamiyama, K. Vlack, H. Kajimoto, N. Kawakami, and S. Tachi, “Vision-Based Sensor for Real-Time Measuring of Surface Traction Fields,” IEEE Computer Graphics & Applications Magazine, Jan-Feb, Jan-Feb, pp. 68-75, 2005.

[4] [4] Y. Ohmura, Y. Kuniyoshi, and A. Nagakubo, “Conformable and Scalable Tactile Sensor Skin for Curved Surfaces,” Proc. of the 2006 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Orlando, Florida, pp. 1348-1353, May 2006.

[5] [5] A. Nagakubo, H. Alirezaei, and Y. Kuniyoshi, “A deformable and deformation sensitive tactile distribution sensor,” IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Biomimetics 2007, Vol.15, Issue 18, pp. 1301-1308, 2007.

[6] [6] Y. Kato, T. Hayakawa, and T. Mukai, “Soft Areal Tactile Sensor Using Tomography Algorithm,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.20, No.4, 2008.

[7] [7] H. Kawaguchi, T. Someya, T. Sekitani, and T. Sakurai, “Cut-and-Paste Customization of Organic FET Integrated Circuit and Its Application to Electronic Artificial Skin,” IEEE J. of Solid-State Circuits, Vol.40, No.1, pp. 177-185, 2005.

[8] [8] J. Engel, J. Chen, Z. Fan, and C. Liu, “Polymer micromachined multimodal tactile sensors,” Sensors and Actuators A-Physical, Vol.117, No.1, pp. 50-61, 2005.

[9] [9] M. Shimojo, T. Arakil, M. Teranishi, A. Ming, and M. Ishikawa, “A net-structure tactile sensor covering freeform surface with reduced wiring,” SICE 2008 – 47th Annual Conf. of the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers of Japan, pp. 904-9, 2008.

[10] [10] M. Hakozaki, H. Oasa, and H. Shinoda, “Telemetric Robot Skin,” Proc. 1999 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 957-961, 1999.

[11] [11] M. Hakozaki and H. Shinoda, “Digital Tactile Sensing Elements Communicating through Conductive Skin Layers,” Proc. 2002 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics & Automation, pp. 3813-3817, 2002.

[12] [12] K. V. Laerhoven, N. Villar, A. Schmidt, and H. W. Gellersen, “Pin & Play: The Surface as Network Medium,” IEEE Communication Magazine, pp. 90-95, 2003.

[13] [13] J. Lifton and J. Paradiso, “Pushpin Computing System Overview: A Platform for Distributed, Embedded, Ubiquitous Sensor Networks,” Proc. Perv. Comp., LNCS 2414, pp. 139-151, 2002.

[14] [14] H. Chigusa, Y. Makino, and H. Shinoda, “Large Area Sensor Skin Based on Two-Dimensional Signal Transmission Technology,” Proc.World Haptics 2007, Tsukuba, Japan, pp. 151-156, Mar. 2007.

[15] [15] Y. Makino, K. Minamizawa, and H. Shinoda, “Two Dimensional Communication Technology for Networked Sensing System,” Proc. INSS 2005, pp. 168-173, 2005.

Flexible Tactile Sensor Skin Using Wireless Sensor Elements Coupled with 2D Microwaves

Hiroyuki Shinoda*, Hiromasa Chigusa**, and Yasutoshi Makino***

Hiroyuki Shinoda^, Hiromasa Chigusa^, and Yasutoshi Makino^