US 12,345,606 B2
Omnidirectional soft capacitive tactile sensors, and methods of using the same
Tyler T. Okamoto, Newcastle, WA (US); Kamal Youcef-Toumi, Cambridge, MA (US); and Jiyoung Chang, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US)
Appl. No. 17/788,468
Filed by MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Cambridge, MA (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 23, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/066881
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 23, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/133934, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 1, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/953,319, filed on Dec. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0043301 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. G01M 3/00 (2006.01); G01L 1/14 (2006.01); G01L 5/165 (2020.01); G01M 3/02 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 3/005 (2013.01) [G01L 1/146 (2013.01); G01L 5/165 (2013.01); G01M 3/02 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A composite sensor, comprising:
a substrate having opposed first and second surfaces, the substrate being constrained along a first edge of the substrate;
a first unit sensor disposed on the first surface of the substrate, the first unit sensor being defined between a first terminal end and a second terminal end;
a second unit sensor disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the second unit sensor being defined between a first terminal end and a second terminal end, and disposed substantially opposed to the first unit sensor such that the first terminal ends and the second terminal ends are aligned with one another along at least the x-axes and y-axes of the substrate;
a third unit sensor disposed on the first surface of the substrate, the third unit sensor having a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first unit sensor;
a fourth unit sensor disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the fourth unit sensor being disposed substantially opposed to the third unit sensor and having a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second unit sensor;
a fifth unit sensor disposed on the first surface of the substrate, the fifth unit sensor having a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first unit sensor; and
a sixth unit sensor disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the sixth unit sensor being disposed substantially opposed to the fifth unit sensor and having a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the second unit sensor;
wherein the composite sensor exhibits four deformation modes that are decoupled from each other, the four deformation modes comprising: tension along an x-axis of the substrate, compressive force along a z-axis of the substrate, bending about a y-axis of the substrate, and torsion about the x-axis of the substrate, and
wherein at least one of the first unit sensor, the second unit sensor, the third unit sensor, the fourth unit sensor, the fifth unit sensor, or the sixth unit sensor comprises a capacitive sensor.