Force and/or Torque Sensor Employing Multiple Sensing Technologies
AssigneeATI Industrial Automation, Inc.
InventorJoseph Lipsey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Force/Torque sensor employs transducers of two or more different sensing technologies to sense strains in a deformable member, and transduce those strains into output signals that are processed to resolve forces and/or torques between attached objects. The use of multiple, different sensing technologies may overcome the negative intrinsic properties of transducers made using one or both of the sensing technologies. Transducers of one technology may validate the outputs of transducers of the another technology, for example confirming that it is not an artifact of temperature, light, etc. The use of multiple, different sensing technologies facilitates robust, safe F/T sensors appropriate for critical safety applications.
Claims20
A force and/or torque sensor configured to measure force and/or torque between first and second objects, comprising:
- a first substructure configured to be attached to the first object;
- a second substructure configured to be attached to the second object;
- a plurality of deformable members connecting the first and second substructures;
- and
- a plurality of transducers attached to at least some deformable members, the transducers configured to sense tensile and/or compressive strains in the deformable members and transduce the forces into output signals;
- and
- a controller configured to calculate force and/or torque between the first and second objects from the transducer output signals;
- wherein the transducers comprise at least one transducer of a first sensing technology and at least one transducer of a different, second sensing technology.
A method of measuring force and/or torque between first and second objects, comprising:
- providing a force and/or torque sensor, comprising:
- a first substructure configured to be attached to the first object;
- a second substructure configured to be attached to the second object;
- a plurality of deformable members connecting the first and second substructures;
- and
- a plurality of transducers attached to at least some deformable members, the transducers configured to sense tensile and/or compressive strains in the deformable members and transduce the forces into output signals, wherein the transducers comprise at least one transducer of a first sensing technology and at least one transducer of a different, second sensing technology;
- and
- calculating force and/or torque between the first and second objects from the transducer output signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.