Finger-shaped thermal sensor using thermo-sensitive paint and camera for telexistence

A thermal change on a fingertip is essential for haptic perception. We have proposed a vision-based thermal sensor using thermo-sensitive paint and a CCD camera for telexistence. The thermo-sensitive paint is employed to measure thermal information on the basis of its color, which changes according to its temperature. The proposed sensor can simulate the physical interaction between a human fingertip and an object in order to measure surface thermal information correctly. Furthermore, because the proposed sensor can be easily integrated with our vision-based force sensor, a comprehensive measurement device for measuring haptic information can be realized. In this study, we constructed a prototype of the proposed thermal sensor and experimentally confirmed that this sensor could measure surface thermal information.