A resonant vibrating tactile probe for biomedical applications based on IPMC

In this paper preliminary results regarding a vibrating tactile sensor are presented. More specifically, two IPMC strips are used, one as actuator and one as sensor, that work together for the differentiation of tissues. In fact, the characteristics of the resonant vibrating IPMC system change with the applied load. This allows for calculating the parameters of the mechanical load, by measuring the IPMC sensor output signal. The sensing capabilities can be exploited in various biomedical applications, such as catheterism and surgical resection of tumors. The model and the preliminary experimental tests of the proposed probe are reported in the paper.