Sensor chip and apparatus for tactile and/or flow sensing
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsChang Liu, Jack Chen, Jonathan Engel
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Abstract
A sensor chip, comprising a flexible, polymer-based substrate, and at least one microfabricated sensor disposed on the substrate and including a conductive element. The at least one sensor comprises at least one of a tactile sensor and a flow sensor. Other embodiments of the present invention include sensors and/or multi-modal sensor nodes.
Claims14
A sensor chip comprising:
- a flexible, polymer-based substrate;
- at least one microfabricated sensor disposed on said substrate and including a conductive element, said at least one sensor comprising at least one of a tactile sensor and a flow sensor;
- a processor coupled to said at least one sensor for processing signals from said at least one sensor;
- wherein said processor is silicon based, and is embedded on a back surface of said substrate.
A sensor chip comprising:
- a flexible, polymer-based substrate;
- at least one microfabricated sensor disposed on said substrate and including a conductive element, said at least one sensor comprising at least one of a tactile sensor and a flow sensor;
- a processor coupled to said at least one sensor for processing signals from said at least one sensor;
- wherein said processor comprises a silicon die having a thickness equal to or lower than 50 μm, wherein said silicon die is flexible.
A microfabricated hardness sensor comprising:
- a first contact area disposed on a flexible membrane;
- a strain gauge for measuring a response of the first contact area to an applied force from a contact object;
- a second contact area disposed on a substrate, wherein said second contact area is less flexible than said first contact area on the flexible membrane;
- another strain gauge for measuring a response of the second contact area to the applied force from the contact object.
A microfabricated contact force sensor comprising:
- a polymer-based flexible membrane having a plurality of flex channels formed on a back side therein;
- a plurality of strain gauges, each of said strain gauges formed on a front side of said membrane and over one of the flex channels, each of said strain gauges comprising a conductive material for measuring a response of the flexible membrane to an applied force from a contact object.
A microfabricated artificial haircell comprising:
- a cilium raised from a substrate, the cilium being capable of deflection with respect to said substrate;
- a strain gauge disposed on said cilium, which stretches or compresses in response to an external force acting on said cilium.
A microfabricated pressure and shear sress sensor comprising:
- a membrane diaphragm;
- at least one thin-film conductive lead disposed on said membrane diaphragm, said conductive lead comprising a piezoresistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.