Development of a microscopic three-axis tactile sensor: Preliminary examinations to establish sensing algorithm by using a simulated mockup

We are developing a minute tactile sensor having four cantilevers for sensing pressure and shear forces simultaneously and for distributing over a small area to recognize a certain area's conditions. Toward our goal, another important task is to establish, in parallel with the sensor's fabrication, a computing method that converts measured signals to applied forces. In this paper, we first investigate our sensing mechanism using a centimeter scale mockup of the actual sensor. Then, we formulate the relationship between the applied forces and the sensor outputs by a numerical analysis using a sufficient number of pairings of the forces and outputs. Finally, we examine the potential of the method.