Development of a position and force sensor for robotic applications

A position/force sensor is developed to determine the position, distribution and magnitude of the load applied by an object on the sensor. For robotic applications, the sensor can be attached to grippers to aid in determining the relative pose between object and gripper, as well as in determining three forces and three moments. The sensor is designed to function as a tactile sensor and a robot wrist force sensor. Theory of plates is employed for sensor design. Strains are measured from direct contact to provide more precise position and force information. Control algorithns for robot hand motion during assembly are developed from the study and understanding of parts mating.