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US 11,898,924 B2Granted
Deformable sensor for simulating skin and other applications
AssigneeThe University of British Columbia
InventorsMirza Saquib Sarwar, John D. W. Madden, Garth Eden Claire Preston
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor unit to be incorporated in a skin-like layer of machines such as robots employs a set of sensor electrodes supported in a first deformable sheet and a base electrode supported in a second deformable sheet, each of the sensor electrodes partially overlapping the base electrode so that application of a shear force causes the overlap of the electrodes to differentially change modifying the capacitance of the electrodes and permitting the detection of the shear force.
Claims19
A sensor unit for detecting shear force applied to the sensor in a tangential direction that is generally tangential to an active surface of the sensor at a location where the shear force is applied, the sensor unit comprising:
- a first deformable sheet comprising the active surface on one side of the first deformable sheet and a first inner surface on an opposing side of the first deformable sheet;
- a second deformable sheet comprising a second inner surface on one side of the second deformable sheet;
- wherein the first inner surface has a first inner surface normal vector oriented toward the second inner surface and is spaced apart from the second inner surface in a direction along the first inner surface normal vector;
- wherein one of the first and second deformable sheets supports one or more electrically conductive sensor electrodes and the other one of the first and second deformable sheets supports an electrically conductive base electrode;
- a plurality of bonded dielectric pillars, each bonded dielectric pillar extending between the first inner surface and the second inner surface and bonded to the first inner surface at a first one of bonded dielectric pillar ends and to the second inner surface at an opposing second one of bonded dielectric pillar ends;
- wherein the plurality of bonded dielectric pillars are spaced apart from one another in one or more directions tangential to the first inner surface;
- and
- one or more support dielectric pillars, each support dielectric pillar bonded to one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface at a bonded end of the support dielectric pillar and having a non-bonded end that is capable of translation relative to the other one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface;
- wherein the one or more support dielectric pillars are spaced apart from each of the plurality of bonded dielectric pillars in one or more directions tangential to the first inner surface to thereby maintain a space between the first and second deformable sheets.
6 more elements
A sensor unit for detecting shear force applied to the sensor in a tangential direction that is generally tangential to an active surface of the sensor at a location where the shear force is applied, the sensor unit comprising:
- a first deformable sheet comprising the active surface on one side of the first deformable sheet and a first inner surface on an opposing side of the first deformable sheet;
- a second deformable sheet comprising a second inner surface on one side of the second deformable sheet and an outer surface on an opposing side of the second deformable sheet;
- wherein the first inner surface has a first inner surface normal vector oriented toward the second inner surface and is spaced apart from the second inner surface in a direction along the first inner surface normal vector;
- wherein one of the first and second deformable sheets supports one or more electrically conductive sensor electrodes and the other one of the first and second deformable sheets supports an electrically conductive base electrode;
- a deformable dielectric layer located in at least some of a volume between the first inner surface and the second inner surface;
- one or more support dielectric pillars located within the deformable dielectric layer, each support dielectric pillar bonded to one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface at a bonded end of the support dielectric pillar and having a non-bonded end that is capable of translation relative to the other one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface;
- wherein the one or more support dielectric pillars are spaced apart from each of the plurality of bonded dielectric pillars in one or more directions tangential to the first inner surface to thereby maintain a space between the first and second deformable sheets;
- wherein, in response to shear force oriented in a direction tangential to the active surface, the first sheet deforms and, as a result of this deformation, at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes moves in the tangential direction relative to the base electrode;
- and
- wherein, for such movement of the at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes, a first capacitance between the at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes and the base electrode either:
- increases relative to a capacitance between the at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes and the base electrode in an absence of the shear force;
- or decreases relative to the capacitance between the at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes and the base electrode in the absence of the shear force.
9 more elements
A method for detecting shear force applied to a sensor in a direction that is generally tangential to an active surface of the sensor at a location where the shear force is applied, the method comprising:
- providing a shear sensor comprising:
- a first sheet comprising the active surface on one side of the first sheet and a first inner surface on an opposing side of the first sheet;
- a second sheet comprising a second inner surface on one side of the second sheet;
- wherein the first inner surface has a first inner surface normal vector oriented toward the second inner surface and is spaced apart from the second inner surface in a direction along the first inner surface normal vector;
- wherein one of the first and second sheets supports one or more electrically conductive sensor electrodes and the other one of the first and second sheets supports an electrically conductive base electrode;
- and
- a deformable dielectric layer located in at least some of a volume between the first inner surface and the second inner surface;
- one or more support dielectric pillars located within the deformable dielectric layer, each support dielectric pillar bonded to one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface at a bonded end of the support dielectric pillar and having a non-bonded end that is capable of translation relative to the other one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface;
- wherein the one or more support dielectric pillars are spaced apart from each of the plurality of bonded dielectric pillars in one or more directions tangential to the first inner surface to thereby maintain a space between the first and second sheets;
- in response to shear force oriented in a direction tangential to the active surface:
- permitting deformation of the first sheet and, as a result of such deformation, corresponding movement of at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes in the tangential direction relative to the base electrode;
- and
- in response to the relative movement in the tangential direction between the at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes and the base electrode:
- detecting at least one of:
- an increase and a decrease in a first capacitance between the at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes and the base electrode relative to a capacitance between the at least one of the one or more sensor electrodes and the base electrode in an absence of the shear force.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.