Sensing device with whisker elements
AssigneeNorthwestern University
InventorsMitra J. Hartmann, Joseph H. Solomon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensing device includes an elongated whisker element having a flexible cantilever region and a base region where a change in moment or curvature is generated by bending of the cantilever region when it contacts an object. One or more sensor elements cooperatively associated with the whisker element provide one or more output signals that is/are representative of two orthogonal components of change in moment or curvature at the whisker base region to permit determination of object distance, fluid velocity profile, or object contour (shape) with accounting for lateral slip of the whisker element and frictional characteristics of the object. Multiple sensing devices can be arranged in arrays in a manner to sense object contour without or with adjustment for lateral slip.
Claims20
Method of sensing, comprising relatively moving an elongated whisker element having a deflectable cantilever region and an object so that the cantilever region bends as a result of contact with the object, determining two components of a change in a whisker bending parameter present at a base region of the whisker element as a result of the bending, and adjusting estimation of object distance by accounting for lateral slip of the whisker element.
A sensing apparatus, comprising an elongated whisker element having a deflectable cantilever region and a base region where a change in a whisker bending parameter is generated by deflection of the cantilever region in contact with an object, one or more sensor elements cooperatively associated with the whisker element to provide one or more outputs that is/are representative of two components of the change in the whisker bending parameter at the base region, and a computer device to estimate distance of the object using the one or more outputs with adjustment of the estimate of distance to account for lateral slip of the whisker element.
A sensing apparatus comprising one or more sensing devices having a whisker element with a deflectable cantilever region and a base region where a change in a whisker bending parameter is generated by deflection of the cantilever region in contact with the object, one or more sensor elements associated with the whisker element to provide one or more outputs that is/are representative of two components of the change in the whisker bending parameter at the base region, a motor to move the one or more sensing devices relative to a reference position such that the whisker element contacts the object, and a computer device to estimate a distance or contour of the object relative to the reference position using the one or more outputs wherein the computer device adjusts the estimate of distance or contour to account for lateral slip of the whisker element by a factor related to the slope of an object surface that is out of the plane of movement of the whisker element.
A sensing apparatus comprising one or more sensing devices, each said sensing device comprising an elongated whisker element having a deflectable cantilever region and a base region where a change in moment or change in curvature is generated by deflection of the cantilever region in contact with an object, one or more sensor elements cooperatively associated with the whisker element to provide one or more outputs that is/are representative of the change in moment or curvature at the base region, a motor to move the one or more sensing devices relative to a reference position such that the whisker element contacts the object, and a computer device to estimate a contour of the object using the one or more outputs of the one or more sensing devices wherein the computer device adjusts the estimate of the contour to account for lateral slip of the whisker element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.