Shear-sensitive magnetoresistive robotic tactile sensor

We have developed a tactile sensor for robotic applications that is sensitive to pressure and, unlike most other tactile sensors, also responds to shear components of the vector force. We consider this an important advantage for robotic manipulation. In our design a magnetoresistive detector senses variation in the magnetic field of a miniature magnetic joystick. This joystick is mechanically mounted by attaching it to a metal foil, which provides elasticity without hysteresis. The detector chip is fabricated using IC technology, and an array of joystick mechanisms can potentially be made by batch processing. We have designed and partially tested a 2 × 2 array prototype, demonstrating the viability of this approach.