Whisker-Like Position Sensor for Measuring Physiological Motion

This paper presents the design and characterization of a whisker-like 3-D position sensor. The whisker sensor is a flexible, high-precision, high-bandwidth contact sensor designed for measuring biological motion of soft tissue for medical robotics applications. Low stiffness of the sensor prevents damage on the tissue during its contact. Two different designs, one for measuring large displacements, the other for small displacements are described. Simulation and measurement results from prototype of both designs are reported.