A compact six-axis force/torque sensor using photocouplers for impact robustness

Hyun-Bin Kim; Keun-Ha Choi; Kyung-Soo Kim

doi:10.1063/5.0186378

A compact six-axis force/torque sensor using photocouplers for impact robustness

Rev Sci Instrum. 2024 Apr 1;95(4):045009. doi: 10.1063/5.0186378.

Authors

Hyun-Bin Kim¹, Keun-Ha Choi¹, Kyung-Soo Kim¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 38687155
DOI: 10.1063/5.0186378

Abstract

This paper presents a novel six-axis force/torque (F/T) sensor design for robotics, combining ease of manufacturing with compactness. It features a high measuring range of ∼3700 N, an exceptional resolution of 0.1 N, and a rapid 5 kHz sampling rate. The sensor's design, focusing on durability and a wider sensing range, utilizes noncontact sensors and a streamlined structure. A novel force sensing scheme aligns sensing elements in-plane on a single printed circuit board, reducing the part count to four and the weight to under 80 g, while integrating an analog-to-digital converter to eliminate the need for external communication devices. The lightweight, efficient prototype demonstrates a superior performance and a high response frequency, validated against a reference F/T sensor.