New results in image-based tactile sensing

A novel image-based sensor surface is defined and presented. It consists of a silicon-rubber skinlike material separated from a transparent plexiglass medium by a small air gap. The plexiglass is used to translate surface deformations into a focused image, which is then sensed by a light-sensing array. The size of the image of this touch surface (image footprint), under various deformations, remains bound to a small area. Thus the size of the array of light sensors needed is significantly reduced. The image footprints produced are easily interpreted by the computer