Orientation Detection of Sensed Objects using a Four Sensor Tactile System with Applications in Bio-Robotics

A novel approach is presented that can be used in determining the sensitivity of a four sensor tactile sensor to the orientation of the contacted objects. Computer simulations were conducted by using a rectangular probe of 14 mm by 7 mm size and applying three magnitudes of forces, i.e., 0.5, 1, and 2 N. A bi-variate function was obtained, showing the amount of output charge against both the angle of orientation and the magnitude of the applied force. By computing the errors, the proposed model proved efficient in predicting the orientation of sensed objects with reasonable accuracy.