A Permanent Magnet Elastomer Tactile Sensor with Adjustable Sensitivity and Compliance Using Pneumatic Pressure

Abstract

Tactile sensors enable robots to perceive and interact with environments through touch, yet adaptable sensors remain underexplored. This paper presents a novel design featuring adjustable sensitivity and compliance achieved by varying pneumatic pressure. The sensor consists of a silicone base, a permanent magnet elastomer (PME), and a printed circuit board with magnetic transducers. Experimental results demonstrate sensitivity adjustability, ranging from 0.093 to 0.125 mT/N (X-axis), 0.089 to 0.13 mT/N (Y-axis), and 0.169 to 0.45 mT/N (Z-axis) and compliance adjustability reflected in deformation changes from 3.20 to 3.79 mm.