Tactile sensors for robotic gripper and the like

A tactile sensor for sensing an object in contact therewith, said sensor comprising:

• (a) a top layer made of a first flexible, electrically-insulating material and including a plurality of first conductive rods extending parallel to one another in a first plane, said first conductive rods being flexible along their length and having a cross-sectional profile conforming substantially to the profile illustrated in FIG. 3;
• (b) a bottom layer made of a second electrically-insulating material and including a plurality of second conductive rods extending parallel to one another in a second plane extending substantially parallel to said first plane, said second conductive rods having a cross-sectional profile conforming substantially to the profile shown in FIG. 3, said bottom layer also being disposed relative to said top layer so that said second conductive rods extend at an angle to said first conductive rods, thus forming a sensory array comprising a plurality of superimposed intersection points arranged in a grid pattern;
• and
• (c) an intermediate layer extending in a third parallel plane and disposed between and engaged by said first and second layers, said intermediate layer being made of a resilient material which is electrically-conductive.

A tactile sensor for sensing the pressure impressed by an object in contact therewith, said sensor comprising:

• (a) a top layer comprised of a first flexible, electrically-insulating material and a first plurality of flexible electrically-conductive rods extending parallel to one another in grooves in said first electrically-insulating material;
• and
• (b) a bottom layer comprised of a second electrically-insulating material and a second plurality of electrically-conducting rods extending parallel to one another;
• said bottom layer being disposed relative to said top layer so that the rods of said first plurality of rods extend across and directly engage the rods of said second plurality of rods, whereby a plurality of electrically-conducting paths is provided by said first and second pluralities of rods;
• the said rods of at least one of said top and bottom layers (a) each being elastomeric and (b) each having a cross-sectional shape that varies with increasing distance from the other of said top and bottom layers so that the contact areas between the rods of said first and second pluralities of rods will increase non-linearly as portions of said layers are deformed as a consequence of being pressed against one another.