Tactile sensor comprising nanowires and method for making the same

A tactile sensor device for detecting the position and movement activity of an object, the sensor device comprising:

• a circuit substrate having a surface;
• an array of contact pads on the surface of the circuit substrate, wherein each one of the contact pads defining the array is in the absence of a tactile activation, electrically isolated from each of the other contact pads defining the array;
• a set of nanowires attached to each said one of the contact pads, each set of nanowires comprising a plurality of substantially-vertically aligned and substantially equi-length nanowires;
• wherein when the object contacts at least one set of nanowires, the object causes said at least one set of nanowires to bend and make contact along a portion of the length thereof with at least another set, whereby the position and movement activity of the object can be sensed by electrically interrogating at least one of the contact pads to determine whether a connection has been made between sets of nanowires.

A tactile shear sensor device for detecting the position and movement activity of an object, the sensor device comprising:

• a circuit substrate having a surface;
• an array of contact pads on the surface of the circuit substrate, wherein each one of the contact pads defining the array, is in the absence of a tactile activation, electrically isolated from each of the other contact pads, and each said one of the contact pads is configured to be coupled to a mechanism for electrically interrogating said contact pads;
• a set of nanowires attached to each said one of the isolated contact pads, each set of nanowires comprising a plurality of nanowires, in which the length of each one of the plurality of nanowires deviates from the average length of every one of the plurality of nanowires by less than twenty percent and the vertical alignment of the plurality of nanowires deviates from complete vertical alignment of 90 degrees relative to the circuit substrate by less than twenty-five degrees;
• a metallic coating disposed on the outer surface of the plurality of nanowires;
• a plurality of stress-limiting spacers disposed on the surface of the circuit substrate for preventing damage to the sets of nanowires;
• wherein when the object contacts at least one set of nanowires, the object causes said at least one set of nanowires to bend and make contact along a portion of the length thereof with at least another set, whereby the position and movement activity of the object can be sensed by electrically interrogating at least two of the contact pads to determine whether an electrical connection has been made between them.