Full-axis sensor for detecting input force and torque

A sensor for detecting input force and/or torque, the sensor including:

• a core having a central region;
• a deformable material having variable resistance depending on forces applied to it positioned at least partially around the central region;
• input force means for transmitting to the deformable material applied force relative to the central region;
• and
• a plurality of electrodes positioned against the deformable material, each electrode being at one end of a current path, each current path being the shortest path of current flow from the core to the electrode through the deformable material,
• wherein, each current path corresponds to the direction of one of three or more notional axes providing a three-dimensional coordinate space, and
• wherein the three or more notional axes are disposed relative to one another such that they pass through the vertices of an imaginary polyhedron whose centroid is located in the central region, the imaginary polyhedron having at least two-fold symmetry about three perpendicular axes.

A sensor for detecting input force and/or torque, the sensor including:

• a central polyhedral block;
• a casing enclosing said block, said casing and said block being moveable relative to one another by said input force and/or torque;
• deformable material located between the casing and the block such that relative movement of said block and casing will cause deformation of said deformable material, the deformable material having variable electrical resistance depending on forces applied to it;
• and
• current detecting means to detect current flow conducted through the deformable material at a plurality of faces of the polyhedral block, the current flow being substantially perpendicular or parallel to each of said plurality of faces of said polyhedral block.