Researchers from an American university have aanraaksensors for nimble robot hands developed. The sensors would be based on cheap technology, the sensors also for hobbyists accessible.
For their aanraaksensors, which TakkTile, the researchers from the Harvard Biorobotics Laboratory in the use of existing, low-cost sensors. The TakkTile sensors using mems barometers as a basis. Despite the low cost are the sensors sensitive enough to a pressure of a gram to detect. The researchers protect the sensitive sensors with a vacuum-sealed rubberlaagje, making individual sensors more than eleven pounds of pressure to be able to resist. The sensors are in the grids on a surface and providing feedback on whether and which objects by a robotic hand, up to be grabbed.
With the sensors like the Harvard-employees also, hobbyists, and other parties provide aanraaksensors: often costs thousands of dollars. The sensors of the Harvard team could be cheap enough to, for example, also in toys to process. The sensor arrays can with standard production methods for printed circuit boards and a vacuum chamber. The used mems barometers are of the type covered more in gps devices and some phones.
