Melexis Gives Robots A Sense Of Touch
Melexis has made a major innovation to improve robots'
ability to interact with fragile or diverse objects. The company has unveiled Tactaxis,
a fully integrated tactile sensor that is compact, soft and provides the 3D
force vector acting on its surface. This improves robots' hands and grippers,
making delicate operations such as fruit picking possible. The technology is
successfully implemented in a functioning prototype.
The ground-breaking prototype features multiple 3D
magnetometer pixels, using Melexis' industry-proven Triaxis® technology. The
sensor is accompanied by a magnet which is embedded into an elastomer material.
This presents a soft contact interface, emulating the attributes of human skin.
The arrangement offers a high sensitivity so that detection of even small
amounts of force will generate a response. The achieved force resolution is 2.7
mN which is enough to distinguish weight change of a fraction of a gram (~ 0.3
gram).
The Tactaxis prototype is highly compact (with dimensions of
just 5 mm x 5 mm x 5 mm) and therefore suitable for tight spaces.
The gradiometric approach makes the sensor immune to
magnetic stray fields. This prevents potential measurement errors. It is also
robust enough to cope with harsh conditions (temperature variations, etc.).
Unlike competing optically-based tactile sensors, Tactaxis is completely
integrated. It will be possible to produce high volumes of factory-calibrated
sensors. This semiconductor process results in major cost and reliability
benefits.
“Robots need the sense of touch to manipulate fragile
objects. For such applications, we have developed a novel magnetic sensor to
accurately measure the contact force—while being robust against disturbances,”
explains Gael Close, Global Innovation Manager at Melexis. “By exploiting the
capabilities of our Triaxis® magnetic sensor technology, we have made a significant
step forward in robot tactile sensors, providing a rugged and competitive
multi-axis sensing solution. We will now use the Tactaxis prototype as the
foundation for further development work.”
A white paper giving details on the Melexis 3D magnetic
force sensor prototype has been published by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers): T. Le Signor, N. Dupré, and G. Close, "A
gradiometric magnetic force sensor immune to stray magnetic fields for robotic
hands and grippers", IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Jan. 2022.
The leading global integrated photonics conference and exhibition will once again bring together key players from across the value chain for two-days of strategic technical sessions, dynamic talks and unrivalled networking opportunities.
Join us face-to-face on 28th – 29th June 2022
- View the agenda.
- 3 for the price of 1. Register your place and gain complementary access to TWO FURTHER industry leading conferences: CS International and PIC International.
- Email info@sensorsinternational.net or call +44 (0)24 7671 8970 for more details.
*90% of exhibition space has gone - book your booth before it’s too late!
