Tactile sensor comprising nanowires and method for making the same
US6286226A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 24, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 24, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S977/956
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A tactile sensor device is disclosed that can be used for high resolution tactile sensing. The sensor may be used as a tactile shear sensor. It comprises a circuit substrate; an array of contact pads on the circuit substrate, and a set of nanowires attached to each of the contact pads. The contact pads may be isolated or formed from a matrix of interconnecting strips of material. Each set of nanowires comprises at least one and preferably a plurality of nanowires that are desirably vertically aligned and equal in length. When an object contacts at least one of the plurality of sets of nanowires, it causes at least one set of nanowires to bend and make contact along a portion of the length thereof with at least another set of nanowires. The position and movement activity of the object can be sensed by electrically interrogating pairs of contact pads to determine whether a connection has been made between them.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.