Three-axial force sensor with capacitive read-out using a differential relaxation oscillator

Author

Brookhuis, R.A. ; Wiegerink, R.J. ; Lammerink, T.S.J. ; Krijnen, G.J.M.

Author_Institution

MESA+ Inst. for Nanotechnol., Univ. of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands

fYear

2013

fDate

3-6 Nov. 2013

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

4

Abstract

A silicon three-axis force sensor is designed and realized to be used for measurement of the interaction force between a human finger and the environment. To detect the force components, a capacitive read-out system using a novel relaxation oscillator has been developed with an output frequency proportional to differential capacitance. The sensor has a range of 2N in tangential- and normal force direction with an accuracy better than 1.5% of the full-scale. The sensor can be safely overloaded with a normal force of more than 30N.

Keywords

capacitive sensors; elemental semiconductors; force measurement; force sensors; readout electronics; relaxation oscillators; silicon; Si; capacitive read-out system; differential capacitance; differential relaxation oscillator; human finger; interaction force measurement; normal force direction; silicon three-axis force sensor; tangential-force direction; Capacitance; Capacitors; Force; Force measurement; Frequency measurement; Oscillators; Switches;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

SENSORS, 2013 IEEE

Conference_Location

Baltimore, MD

ISSN

1930-0395

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ICSENS.2013.6688398

Filename

6688398