An optical multi-axial force/torque sensor for dexterous grasping and manipulation

This paper introduces the design of a 6-DOF force and torque sensor that uses fiber optic guided light and linear polarizer materials to measure the applied force and torque on a grasped object. The sensor is also capable of measuring the contact direction between the sensor and the object. The developed sensor has a diameter of 16 mm, height of 15.75 mm and weight of 1 gram. The sensor´s parallel mechanism design and operating principles are explained and experimental data is given to verify the proposed operating principle. The experimental data shows that the proposed force sensor performs well with the ultimate aim of further miniaturization and integration into the fingertip of a dexterous robotic hand.