Design and analysis of a novel isotropic six-component force/torque sensor

In the design of robot's force/torque sensors, the innovation in the structure design is one of the most important activities. The unique design for a novel parallel architecture of robot's six-component force/torque sensor based on the Stewart platform is presented. The translational stiffness and the torsional stiffness of the sensor are defined and analyzed, which can provide the theoretical background for the optimal design and application of the sensor. The results show that the translational stiffness and the torsional stiffness of the sensor can be intuitively indicated by two spheres, respectively, so the sensor is characterized by the stiffness isotropy. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.