Abstract: A system and method for fabricating soft sensors that conform to arbitrary smooth geometries that include fabricating a top stretchable layer that includes a set of electrodes of soft sensors that are made of an elastic material. The system and method also include fabricating a bottom flexible layer that is composed of a thin sheet of suitable metal that is patterned using photolithography.

Abstract: Multiple nodes (2) of a ring network communication system (1) include a heteronomous node (22) and an autonomous node (23). The heteronomous node (22) operates in a heteronomous mode in which data generated by a data generation part (8) of an own node is transmitted as transmitted data Dt only when received data Dir received by a data reception part (13) includes a data transmission request. The autonomous node (23) operates in an autonomous mode in which the data generated by the data generation part (8) of the own node is transmitted as the transmitted data Dt regardless of reception of the received data Dir including the data transmission request. Data including the data transmission request is not required for the autonomous node, and the control period is shortened.

Abstract: The capacitance sensor 1 includes a self-capacitance electrode 5, first electrodes 3 (3(1) to 3(4)), and a second electrode 4 which are arranged being separated from each other in a thickness direction of an elastically deformable base material 2 formed by a dielectric. The self-capacitance electrode 5 is connected to a first connection portion 10a for measuring capacitance by a self-capacitance method and a grounded second connection portion 10b via a switch 10 so as to be selectively connected to the first connection portion 10a and the second connection portion 10b.

Abstract: In a case where first sensor data SD1 output from a proximity sensor S1 included in a sensor module Smod (i) indicates a first designated state, only first composite sensor data Dt1 including the first sensor data SD1 and a first flag F1 indicating the type of the proximity sensor S1 or the first designated state is transmitted from the sensor module Smod (i) to a central processing unit Smod (0) via a network. In this case, second composite sensor data Dt2 including second sensor data SD2 and a second flag F2 indicating the type of a contact force sensor S2 or the second designated state is not transmitted from the sensor module Smod (i) to the central processing unit Smod (0) via the network.

Abstract: An electrostatic capacity sensor 1 capable of expanding a force detectable region includes an upper electrode 11, a lower electrode 11 for detecting electrostatic capacity C between the lower electrode 11 and the upper electrode 11, and a base material 12 having dielectric properties and elasticity and disposed between upper and lower electrodes 11 and 11. An upper base material layer portion 12a and a lower base material layer portion 12b of the base material 12 are configured such that elastic deformation amounts when the same force is applied are different from each other.

Abstract: A capacitance sensor 1A in which first electrodes 3(1) to 3(4) and a second electrode 4 are arranged on a base material 2 made of a dielectric includes grounded electrostatic shielding members (5(1) to 5(6)). The electrostatic shielding members 5 are arranged, for example, at positions between first wiring portions 6(1)in, 6(2)in, 6(4) in connected to the first electrodes 3(1), 3(2), 3(4) and the second electrode 4, at a position between a second wiring portion 6(5)in connected to the second electrode 4 and the first electrode 3(4), and at a position between the second wiring portion 6(5)in and the first wiring portion 6(4)in.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating soft sensors that conform to arbitrary smooth geometries that include fabricating a top stretchable layer that includes a set of electrodes of soft sensors that are made of an elastic material. The system and method also include fabricating a bottom flexible layer that is composed of a thin sheet of suitable metal that is patterned using photolithography.

Abstract: A robot includes: links, connected in series to a base via joints; actuators, driving the joints to relatively displace a corresponding pair of links connected to each other; control devices, distributedly arranged in the base and the links and controlling the actuators; a communication cable, comprising an optical fiber connecting the control devices to each other and transmitting information; and light amount measurement devices, measuring the amount of light of an optical signal transmitted to the control devices via the communication cable. Each control device monitors the amount of light measured by the light amount measurement device corresponding thereto, and determines a state of the communication cable corresponding thereto based on the amount of light.

Abstract: Multiple nodes (2) of a ring network communication system (1) include a heteronomous node (22) and an autonomous node (23). The heteronomous node (22) operates in a heteronomous mode in which data generated by a data generation part (8) of an own node is transmitted as transmitted data Dt only when received data Dir received by a data reception part (13) includes a data transmission request. The autonomous node (23) operates in an autonomous mode in which the data generated by the data generation part (8) of the own node is transmitted as the transmitted data Dt regardless of reception of the received data Dir including the data transmission request. Data including the data transmission request is not required for the autonomous node, and the control period is shortened.

Abstract: A triaxial force sensor 1 includes nine first electrodes 11 to 19, and nine second electrodes 21 to 29 attached to an electrode support 10 in such a manner that the electrode support 10 is interposed between the nine first electrodes 11 to 19 and the nine second electrodes 21 to 29. A pair of first electrodes 14 and 16 are arranged such that a straight line connecting the two is orthogonal to a straight line connecting a pair of first electrodes 12 and 18, and the second electrodes 22, 24, 26, and 28 are arranged such that the respective halves overlap the first electrodes 12, 14, 16, and 18 in plan view. The sensor has a number of components and size, thereby allowing a reduction in manufacturing cost, in the case of detecting forces in orthogonal triaxial directions.

Abstract: In an electrostatic capacity sensor 1, first electrodes 11a to 11d are provided on a substrate 10, and an electrode support 14 has dielectric properties and elasticity and is fixed to the substrate 10. A second electrode 12 is provided in the electrode support 14 so as to face the first electrodes 11a to 11d with a distance from the first electrodes 11a to 11d. The electrostatic capacity sensor has improved durability.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating soft sensors that conform to arbitrary smooth geometries that include fabricating a top stretchable layer that includes a set of electrodes of soft sensors that are made of an elastic material. The system and method also include fabricating a bottom flexible layer that is composed of a thin sheet of suitable metal that is patterned using photolithography. The system and method further include bonding the top stretchable layer to the bottom flexible layer to form a sensor substrate.

Abstract: Provided is an artificial epidermis structure. Three different contact states can be realized between the artificial epidermis structure and a target object. The “first contact state” is a state in which only the surface of a distal end portion of each protrusion contacts the target object. The “second contact state” is a state in which each protrusion tilts with respect to a base body corresponding to the force received from the target object and thereby the surface of a base portion and the surface of the distal end portion of each protrusion contact the target object. The “third contact state” is a state in which each protrusion further tilts with respect to the base body corresponding to an increase in the force and thereby the surface of the base body and respective surface of the distal end portion and the base portion of each protrusion contact the target object.

Abstract: A proximity and three-axis force sensor based sensor may include a first taxel including a first electrode formed within a top layer configured in a serpentine pattern, a second electrode formed within a bottom layer, and a dielectric layer positioned between the top layer and the bottom layer and a second taxel including a first electrode formed within the top layer and having a first surface area, a second electrode formed within the bottom layer and having a second surface area, and a ground electrode formed within the top layer above the first electrode of the second taxel having a surface area greater than the first surface area of the first electrode of the second taxel. The second surface area may be different than the first surface area. A first edge of the first electrode may be vertically aligned with a first edge of the second electrode.

Abstract: A force detector includes a low load cell, a high load cell, a first presser and a second presser. The first presser and the second presser have pressing surfaces having different areas from each other. When the same force acts on the first presser and the second presser, the low load cell and the high load cell are configured so that their outputs indicate different values from each other.

Abstract: A pair of first electrodes 111, 112 is arranged in a state being separated in a direction parallel to a contact surface 102 of a base material 10 made of a dielectric and being at least partially in contact with the base material 10. A pair of second electrodes 121, 122 is arranged in a state of overlapping at least one of the pair of first electrodes and sandwiching the base material 10 at a position farther from the contact surface 102 of the base material 10 than the pair of first electrodes 111 and 112 in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 102 of the base material 10. The proximity state of an object Q with respect to the contact surface 102 of the base material 10 is detected according to the measurement result of the capacitance C1 between the pair of first electrodes 111 and 112.

Abstract: A touch sensation sensor is mounted to a hand part of a robot and includes: an obtaining means, obtaining at least one of visual sensation information, which is target object information relating to a target object operated by using the hand part, and touch sensation information, which is the target object information at a time when the target object operated by using the hand part is gripped; and a control device, changing a sensitivity mode of the touch sensation sensor in accordance with the target object information that is obtained.

Abstract: An artificial epidermis structure capable of using a gel substance to adjust a frictional property with high precision is provided. When a front surface of a lid member comes into contact with a target object and pressure acts on the lid member, a part of the gel substance can escape into a space that is formed by concave portions on a front surface of a gel substance. Therefore, reduction in a repulsion force of the gel substance is achieved. Accordingly, the pressure can be appropriately transmitted to the gel substance via the lid member, and convex portions of the gel substance can be caused to easily bulge out over the front surface of the lid member via holes of the lid member.

Abstract: A triaxial force sensor 1 includes nine first electrodes 11 to 19, and nine second electrodes 21 to 29 attached to an electrode support 10 in such a manner that the electrode support 10 is interposed between the nine first electrodes 11 to 19 and the nine second electrodes 21 to 29. A pair of first electrodes 14 and 16 are arranged such that a straight line connecting the two is orthogonal to a straight line connecting a pair of first electrodes 12 and 18, and the second electrodes 22, 24, 26, and 28 are arranged such that the respective halves overlap the first electrodes 12, 14, 16, and 18 in plan view. The sensor has a number of components and size, thereby allowing a reduction in manufacturing cost, in the case of detecting forces in orthogonal triaxial directions.

Abstract: In an electrostatic capacity sensor 1, first electrodes 11a to 11d are provided on a substrate 10, and an electrode support 14 has dielectric properties and elasticity and is fixed to the substrate 10. A second electrode 12 is provided in the electrode support 14 so as to face the first electrodes 11a to 11d with a distance from the first electrodes 11a to 11d. The electrostatic capacity sensor has improved durability.