Sensors
AssigneeBristol Maritime Robotics Ltd
InventorsRichard Sewell, Thomas Rooney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor comprising a whisker shaft and a follicle is provided. The shaft has a root end and a tip end and the shaft tapers from the root end to the tip end so that the root end is wider and the tip end is narrower. The root end is pivotably mounted in the follicle.
Claims17
An artificial whisker sensor comprising an elongate body having a root end and a tip end, in which the elongate body tapers from the root end to the tip end so that the root end is wider and the tip end is narrower, the root end is mounted in a hub, in which the hub is mounted in an elastomeric block so as to be in a suspended, free pivoting joint with a restoring force for the hub provided by the elastomeric block and being such that the pivot point of the whisker is at substantially the centre of the hub, a magnet is attached to the hub, the magnet is located axially above a magnetic field sensor for detecting the orientation of the magnet, in which deflection of the elongate body rotates the magnet about the pivot point such that it conveys the 2D angular pivot position of the elongate body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.