Open Access

ARTICLE

On the Tactile Sensing Based on the Smart Materials

Ligia Munteanu¹, Dan Dumitriu¹, Veturia Chiroiu¹, Cornel Bri¸san², Doina Marin¹

1 Institute of Solid Mechanics, Romanian Academy, Ctin Mille 15, 010141Bucharest, Romania. E-mails: ligia_munteanu@hotmail.com; dumitri04@yahoo. com; veturiachiroiu@yahoo. com; marin_doina@yahoo. com
2 Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Memorandumului 28, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mails: Cornel. Brisan@mmfm. utcluj.ro; bmvbara@yahoo. com

Computers, Materials & Continua 2015, 46(2), 79-103. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmc.2015.046.079

Abstract

A flexible finger with muscles made of Nitinol wires and the skin made of auxetic material is analyzed from the tactile sensing point of view. The recognizing of the shape and texture of 3D objects is performed by simulation the action of an array of nanopiezotronic transistors integrated into the skin. The array of nanopiezotronic transistors makes possible the detection of the pressure-induced changes in the auxetic skin. The shape and texture of the objects is best estimated by determining the surface and texture as an n-ellipsoid defined by 12 parameters. An inverse problem is solved in order to find these parameters from the condition that the n-ellipsoid best fits the set of data points probed by touch with the finger.

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Keywords

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