Inventors: Dr. Guolin Yun, Mr. Zesheng Chen & Professor Tawfique Hasan, Engineering
Patent: United Kingdom (GB) Patent Application No: 2408695.1, “Pressure Sensing Composite Material”
In the realm of neuroprosthetics, human-machine interaction, and intelligent robotics, achieving sensitive and precise tactile sensing remains a significant challenge. The inventors have developed a groundbreaking triaxial force microsensor array designed to address these challenges. This advanced micro-sized sensor not only detects force in three dimensions but also identifies sliding on contact surfaces and estimates surface roughness, making it a breakthrough in industrial applications.
The sensor arrays contain multi-scale structures of anisotropic particle networks, interconnected micropores, and pyramidal geometries. This innovative approach enables the differentiation of normal and tangential forces, mimicking the high-resolution multidimensional haptics of human fingers.
Suitable for use in industrial settings, robotic manipulation, prosthetics, and haptic devices, the technology supports precise real-time sensing of force magnitude and direction, slip detection, and roughness estimation, and offers unparalleled sensitivity and accuracy over a wide range of pressures. This makes it suitable for use in delicate operations such as picking soft fruit, and also in industrial applications such as lifting heavy blocks of metal.
The aim of the i-Teams project will be to explore the real-world applications and market potential of this innovative technology. By contacting relevant industry experts across a range of market sectors, the i-Team will identify the specific needs and challenges for each market, and recommend the next steps to make this technology a commercial reality.