A whisker tracing sensor with 5 μm sensitivity

This paper discusses a whisker sensor composed of a flexible beam anchored at the base with torque sensor, and an actuator for moving it. We consider a sufficient condition for detecting the surface shape by using a whisker sensor. We show that a straight-lined whisker sensor with one axis torque sensor can achieve the requirement irrespective of contact friction, while a curved whisker can not do it. We experimentally show that a straight-lined whisker sensor can detect the surface irregularity with pretty high sensitivity (⩽5 μm), even under different contact frictions