抄録
An optical three-axis tactile sensor is comprised of a silicone-rubber sheet, an acrylic plate, a CCD camera and a light source. A silicone-rubber sheet has an array of 8×9 sensor cells consisting of a columnar feeler and conical feelers. In the preceding paper, we proposed a new sensing element which has a columnar feeler and 8 conical feelers and formulated a set of equations which could evaluate normal and shearing forces from integrated gray scale value and centroid displacement caused by conical feeler's contacts. In the present paper, as verification tests the present tactile sensor was mounted on an articulated manipulator to make it scan surfaces of fine abrasive papers. Obtained shearing force increased with an increase of particle diameter of aluminum dioxide contained in the abrasive paper and decreased with an increase of scanning velocity of the manipulator for the abrasive paper. Since these results are consistent with tribology, it is conclude that the present tactile sensor has dynamic sensing capability to detect normal and shearing forces accepted to the sensing element.
