Tactile sensing method and apparatus having grids as a means to detect a physical parameter

A method of sensing and measuring forces applied on a plurality of locations on a surface area, comprising the steps of:

• forming a grid of energy input and energy output devices on the surface area, which grid includes a plurality of elongated energy input devices in spaced apart relation to each other and generally oriented to run in one direction on the surface and a plurality of elongated energy output devices in spaced apart relation to each other and generally oriented to run in another direction such that the energy input divides intersect the energy output devices;
• connecting the energy input devices to the energy output devices at the intersecting locations with transducers that allow energy to flow therethrough from the energy input devices to the energy output devices in amounts that vary as a function of the magnitude of forces applied on the respective transducers;
• feeding energy sequentially into selected input devices while isolating the other input devices from energy input and detecting and measuring energy sequentially in selected output devices while isolating the other output devices from energy output;
• correlating and processing data indicating the input device to which energy is being fed with data indicating the output device from which energy is being detected and measured at any selected time and determining location of the transducer in the grid through which the detected and measured energy is being transferred from an input device to an output device at such selected time and further determining the magnitude of the force applied on that transducer location as a function of the measured energy at that selected time.