"TACTILE SENSOR SUB-SYSTEM UTILIZING A FINGERTIP-SHAPED SENSOR WITH SHEAR FORCE-SENSING CAPABILITY"

A SIGNIFICANT NEED EXISTS IN THE FIELD OF DEXTEROUS ROBOTICS AND TELEOPERATION FOR TACTILE FEEDBACK GENERATED BY HIGH-RESOLUTION TACTILE DISPLAYS. IT IS PROPOSED THAT A TACTILE SENSOR SUB-SYSTEM BE DEVELOPED CONSISTING OF A MICROPROCESSOR-BASED TACTILE DATA ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM COUPLED TO AN INNOVATIVE FINGERTIP-SHAPED TACTILE SENSOR WITH NORMAL AND SHEAR FORCE-SENSING CAPABILITY. THE PRIMARY EFFORTS OF THIS PROJECT SHALL INCLUDE (1) MODIFICATION OF AN EXISTING, HIGH-RESOLUTION, OPTICAL TACTILE SENSOR (MANUFACTURED BY BEGEJ CORPORATION) BY DEVELOPMENT OF SENSING ELEMENTS CAPABLE OF DETECTING SHEAR FORCES IN ADDITION TO NORMAL FORCES, AND (2) INTEGRATION OF THE OPTICAL TACTILE SENSOR INTO A COMPLETE, MICROPROCESSOR-BASED TACTILE SENSING SUB-SYSTEM CAPABLE OF AUTONOMOUS TACTILE DATA ACQUISTITION, PRE-PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS.