Force sensor for tendon-actuated mechanisms
AssigneeNanyang Technological University
InventorsWenjie Lai, Lin Cao, Soo Jay Louis Phee
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Abstract
A force sensor for a tendon-actuated mechanism, the force sensor comprising: a body having a through hole for passage of a tendon of the tendon-actuated mechanism therethrough, the body configured to be connected to a part of the tendon-actuated mechanism through which the tendon passes; and a sensor provided on the body to obtain a compression force on the body from the part of the tendon-actuated mechanism through which the tendon passes.
Claims14
A force sensor for a tendon-actuated mechanism, the force sensor comprising:
- a body having a through hole for passage of a tendon of the tendon-actuated mechanism therethrough, the body configured to be connected to a part of the tendon-actuated mechanism through which the tendon passes;
- and a sensor provided on the body, wherein the body is compressible longitudinally in response to a tension force axially along the tendon resulting from pulling of the tendon;
- wherein the sensor is configured to obtain a compression force longitudinally along the body resulting from compression of the body longitudinally;
- wherein the compression force is comparable to the tension force, such that the tension force axially along the tendon is measured based on the compression force longitudinally along the body.
A method of determining a force on a tendon-actuated mechanism, the method comprising:
- a) providing a force sensor on a part of the tendon-actuated mechanism through which a tendon of the tendon-actuated mechanism passes, the force sensor comprising a body and a sensor provided thereon;
- b) passing the tendon through a through hole of the body;
- c) generating a tension force axially along the tendon resulting from pulling of the tendon;
- d) compressing the body longitudinally in response to the tension force;
- e) obtaining with the sensor a compression force longitudinally along the body resulting from compression of the body longitudinally, wherein the compression force is comparable to the tension force;
- and
- f) measuring the tension force axially along the tendon based on the compression force longitudinally along the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.