Feeling the pressure with universal tactile imaging

Researchers developed a universal tactile imaging technology for pressure distribution measurement using a coupled conductor pair. An image processing approach based on tomography was then used to relate the pressure distribution to the conductors’ contact resistance. Mechatronics technology enabled development of flexible sensors using conventional conductive materials. These sensors undergo simple fabrication processes and enable measurements to be performed with high positional accuracy. Tactile imaging was demonstrated using sheet- and finger-type sensors.