Shear force measurement using a rubber based tactile matrix sensor

The paper presents the use of a tactile matrix sensor as a force sensor. The same sensor can also be used for measuring the force distribution over its surface, recognition of shape characteristics and slip detection. In the paper, the sensor setup is briefly described. It is based on the well known rubber technology with a modification concerning its surface, on which a certain number of horizontal and vertical cuts are made. These cuts allow the measurement of tangential forces which after some processing also give information about the torques applied to the sensor.