Intrinsic embedded sensors for polymeric mechatronics: flexure and force sensing

Leif P Jentoft; Aaron M Dollar; Christopher R Wagner; Robert D Howe

doi:10.3390/s140303861

Intrinsic embedded sensors for polymeric mechatronics: flexure and force sensing

Sensors (Basel). 2014 Feb 25;14(3):3861-70. doi: 10.3390/s140303861.

Authors

Leif P Jentoft¹, Aaron M Dollar², Christopher R Wagner³, Robert D Howe⁴

Affiliations

¹ Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. ljentoft@seas.harvard.edu.
² Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. aaron.dollar@yale.edu.
³ Formerly with the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. cwagner@post.harvard.edu.
⁴ Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. howe@seas.harvard.edu.

Abstract

While polymeric fabrication processes, including recent advances in additive manufacturing, have revolutionized manufacturing, little work has been done on effective sensing elements compatible with and embedded within polymeric structures. In this paper, we describe the development and evaluation of two important sensing modalities for embedding in polymeric mechatronic and robotic mechanisms: multi-axis flexure joint angle sensing utilizing IR phototransistors, and a small (12 mm), three-axis force sensing via embedded silicon strain gages with similar performance characteristics as an equally sized metal element based sensor.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Abstract

Publication types

Grants and funding