3 Axis Capacitive Tactile Sensor

A capacitive tactile sensor that can detect both the applied vertical and horizontal contact forces is proposed. The sensor is built on a flexible material (rubber), in which conductive materials are deposited forming four separate capacitors. The overall result is a thin sensor with increasing mechanical flexibility and robustness, charac- terized by simple structure and manufacture. The sensor structure and characteristics are described. Simulations and experiments were conducted in order to examine the change in the four capacitances and the deformation in elements implemented in the rubber medium. The obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness of the achieved tactile sensor. I. INTRODUCTION