Phalange tactile load cell

US7784363B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US
• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Chris A. Ihrke · Hartland, US
• Myron A. Diftler · Houston, US
• Douglas Martin Linn · Cave Springs, US
• Robert Platt · Houston, US
• Bryan Kristian Griffith · Webster, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 30, 2008
• Grant date: Aug 31, 2010
• Expiry date: Nov 15, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01L5/226
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A tactile load cell that has particular application for measuring the load on a phalange in a dexterous robot system. The load cell includes a flexible strain element having first and second end portions that can be used to mount the load cell to the phalange and a center portion that can be used to mount a suitable contact surface to the load cell. The strain element also includes a first S-shaped member including at least three sections connected to the first end portion and the center portion and a second S-shaped member including at least three sections coupled to the second end portion and the center portion. The load cell also includes eight strain gauge pairs where each strain gauge pair is mounted to opposing surfaces of one of the sections of the S-shaped members where the strain gauge pairs provide strain measurements in six-degrees of freedom.