Possibility of Multi-Functional Sensing Technique of Surface Roughness and Temperature on Material Surface Model

Abstract

In this paper, a new multi-functional sensing technique for discrimination of surface roughness and temperature on material surface model using a pressure-conductive rubber sheet tactile sensor is described. This technique is aiming to realize an artificial device with sensing ability of the human skin as a final goal.
We recognized that the resistance of pressure-conductive rubber sheet generally used as two-dimensional pressure sensing device was influenced not only by pressure but also by temperature. For discriminating both the material surface model and the temperature, the trial tactile sensor consisted of eight latticed small patch elements with two kinds of pressure-conductive ruber sheet is developed. This tactile sensor has two outputs because two output signals of sensor are needed to obtain the information about two unknown quantities, a kind of material surface model and temperature.
The experimental results which were the surface characteristics in accordance with surface model with constant touch force (2kgf) and constant temperature (25°C), and the temperature characteristics on three kinds of surface models in constant touch force (2kgf), showed the possibility of proposed multi-functional sensing technique for the surface model and the temperature of material.