Development of fabric force sensor for detecting normal and lateral force by applying umbonal fiber

We previously proposed a fabric-type tactile sensor fabricated by using an artificial hollow fiber to produce a wearable sensing system. We now are presenting our newly-developed fabric force sensor, which can detect both normal and lateral forces, that uses an umbonal fiber. The artificial hollow fiber was fabricated by depositing thin metal and an insulation layer on an elastic hollow fiber. We used a hand loom to weave together a metal-warp-wire, three weft-hollow fibers, and cotton yarn to produce our sensor. The projection was formed on the middle line among the three weft-hollow fibers to detect the applied force. The normal and lateral forces were detected by measuring the change in capacitance at the intersection of two fibers. We confirmed that the developed sensor was able to detect both forces separately.