Force Application
One of the main requirements of this project is to set up a system that allows the operator to exert varying amount of force at the end effector of the remote robot.
To accomplish this, the operator will have a glove system with an inbuilt force sensor. This sensor will collect information in real time on how much force the operator is exerting and send this information to the remote site where it is mapped to varying grip forces on the robot's end effector. For this purpose, a thin film sensor called Flexiforce sensor is used because it has a low profile so can be easily integrated into the operator glove. |
Force Commands
The Flexiforce sensor is a durable piezoresistive force sensor in which the resistance is inversely proportional to the applied force. This sensor has been tested with an ohmmeter and determined to yield high linearity (±3%) in resistance change with change in force and is able to operate over a wide range of forces (about 0-100lbs). This means that varying amounts of grip force can be determined from its readings.
It also keeps a low profile with a thickness of 0.2mm.
It also keeps a low profile with a thickness of 0.2mm.