Distributed flexible tactile sensor using piezoelectric film

The prototype of the tactile sensor which has 8 × 8 array using piezoelectric film was fabricated. In the fabrication procedure, the electrode patterns and the common electrode of the thin conductive tape are attached to the both sides of the 28 μm thickness piezoelectric film using conductive adhesive. The sensor is covered with polyester film for insulation and attached to the rubber base for a stable structure. The proposed fabrication method is simple and easy to make the sensor. The sensor has the advantages in the implementing for practical applications because its structure is flexible and the shape of the each tactile element can be designed arbitrarily. The signals of a contact force to the tactile sensor are sensed and processed in the DSP system in which the signals are digitalized and filtered. Finally, the signals are integrated for taking the force profile. The processed signals of the output of the sensor are visualized in a personal computer, the shape and force distribution of the contact object are obtained. The reasonable performance for the detection of the contact state was verified through the sensing examples.